Boy Finds $5K While Cleaning Out Family’s New Used Car [VIDEO]
What's the most interesting thing you've found when purchasing a used car? An Indiana boy found $5,000 in cash and checks under a floormat while cleaning out his family's newly purchased SUV.
The only thing I've ever found in a used car was a small bottle of hand sanitizer left behind by my car's previous owner. Ironically, I made this discovery shortly after the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, so it came in handy.
How did it happen
Michael Melvin asked his 9-year-old son Landon to clean out the family's new Chevy Suburban. The Melvins have five kids, so they hadn't had a chance to clean the vehicle since purchasing the used vehicle in September.
But when Landon started cleaning under the floormats, he made quite a discovery.
"I was cleaning my dad's car, and, when I looked under the floorboard, I found the package. Then I told my dad, and he was like 'whatever,'" said Landon.
Michael Melvin tells ABC-7 that he was initially unimpressed.
"I was like 'whatever.' He's nine," his father said. "I'm like 'you found something, OK.' He says, 'No, Dad I really did.' I walk over. I see it. I reach down. I say, you know, 'what is this?' And, I'm thinking it's probably paperwork of some sort."
Who did the money belong to
The Melvin's were able to track down the SUV's previous owner, tracing it to a family in South Carolina. They'd driven to Florida in 2019 and had forgotten that they'd stashed the envelope under one of the floormats.
The good news is, they gave 9-year-old Landon a finder's fee. The family insisted that Landon keep $1,000 of the found money.