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A WOMAN has been left in financial turmoil after losing tens of thousands of dollars when she had her Costco fridge replaced.
She has blasted Costco for allegedly failing to take further action to help find her cold, hard cash that had been stored in the freezer unit.
Renee Reese has been searching for her money for 10 months, claiming she lost her life savings when her kitchen appliance was exchanged.
Reese, from Thornton, Colorado – just 20 minutes north of Denver – told local ABC affiliate KMGH-TV that she had around $35,000 stored in her freezer.
“It was everything,” she told the outlet.
Reese explained that she had been keeping the funds in the door of her freezer to keep the cash safe.
“It was a safe place to put it in case there was a fire,” she said.
The money was reportedly stored in a Ziploc bag and wrapped in white paper towels.
While the money was safe from flames, Reese’s troubles began in June, 2023 when she sought to have her refrigerator replaced.
The Colorado woman explained she suffers from multiple sclerosis and needed an improved appliance.
“You’re in here, you’re pulling out a large item without a disability, the doors need to stay open,” she said.
However, when the old fridge was picked up by workers subcontracted by Costco, all the money inside went with it.
“I thought my daughter had grabbed it, she thought I had grabbed it, then when I went to look for it to put it back, it wasn’t there,” Reese said.
The incident has reportedly left Reese struggling financially.
“My assumption is that I had about 35-thousand in there,” she told the outlet.
“The financial strain has devastated me and because I’m so sick I don’t have any way to recover it.”
RULES ON FINDING MONEY
The saying ‘finders keepers’ is not always true as people who find money and keep it may quickly find out.
While State and local laws may differ slightly, the majority will require you to attempt to find the owner of the money.
If you fail to make “reasonable efforts” to track down the owner, many states will be able to charge you with theft or larceny of lost property.
The penalty will most likely be based on the value of the lost property as larger finds that are kept without making “reasonable efforts” to find the owner may be classed as a felony rather than a misdemeanor.
The term “reasonable efforts” includes asking people nearby if they dropped any cash, checking the envelope or wallet (if there is one) for an ID, handing it into a nearby store, or contacting the police on a non-emergency line.
Some laws will authorize the police to return the money to the finder if no one has claimed it after a period of time.
Always check your local and state laws which will most likely outline what to do if you find property or cash.
It is also advised that you contact the police or a criminal defense lawyer who can assist in what the laws state and how you should proceed.
Source: Criminal Defense Lawyer
She has blasted Costco for allegedly not doing more to question the workers or other employees.
“Who’s tracking these people?” Reese said.
Costco was reportedly able to track down the original fridge where Reese had stored her life savings, however, the company said there was no money found inside.
The company that handled the delivery of the new refrigerator told KMGH-TV that it also has not seen the missing money.
The financial strain has devastated me and because I’m so sick I don’t have any way to recover it
Renee Reese
In an attempt to track the whereabouts of her cash, Reese filed a police report with the Thornton Police Department.
As Costco continues to investigate the incident, Reese has hit back at critics who have questioned why she stored the money in the appliance.
She explained that due to her disability, she has been unable to get to a bank to deposit the cash.
“There’s a thousand reasons why I couldn’t get to the bank,” Reese said.
“I wasn’t physically able to.”
