City asked to pay finder’s fee for found funds

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 17, 2001

What if someone told you they knew where there was money owed to you, but to receive it you owed them a small finder’s fee? Would you take the deal?.

Tuesday, April 17, 2001

What if someone told you they knew where there was money owed to you, but to receive it you owed them a small finder’s fee? Would you take the deal?

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That was the dilemma facing the Austin City Council finance committee on Monday. Yet the council did not seem to see it as a dilemma.

Loss prevention Specialists Inc., a private investigation company licensed by the state of Minnesota, contacted City Finance Director Tom Dankert at the end of December. Dennis Pruszinske of LPS informed Dankert through a letter that a certified check for $4,500 from Wells Fargo Services Co. is waiting to be claimed by the city.

As part of the agreement, the city will pay a fee of 20 percent of the money owed to the city to the agent who found it – LPS. However, if LPS is unable to retrieve the money for the city, the city will owe nothing.

"How can we go wrong?" Dick Chaffee, councilman-at-large and committee chairman, said.

Dankert agreed the situation sounded good to him. So, the committee, comprised of Chaffee, First Ward Councilwoman Mickey Jorgenson and Third Ward Councilman Dick Lang, approved the pursuit of the money.

Call Kevira Mertha at 434-2233 or e-mail her at newsroom@austindailyherald.com.