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Giving Rewards for
Returning Lost Property?
In the middle of July, the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's
Congress (NPC) released the Property Rights Law, seeking feedback from
the general public.
One of the most contentious matters in the draft is whether a reward
should be paid for recovered property. The draft clearly stipulates lost
property should be returned to its rightful owner.
Those that find misplaced articles should inform the owner or the person
who lost them, or hand them in to relevant authorities, within 20 days
of the property being found.
The owner of the lost property should cover any storage fee incurred
when they collect their belongings. If the finder has used the item in
some way they have no right to claim either a storage fee or a reward.
Those who offer a reward for returned property should pay up as agreed.
Lost property reverts to the State if nobody claims it.
After the draft law was made public, it sparked extensive debate. Some
say the clause encouraging the payment of rewards must be changed, as
it goes against the traditional Chinese virtue of "returning the
money found without payment." The law should encourage these sound
values and call on society to carry on this tradition, many think.
But others argue the terms of the draft do not contradict traditional
virtues. Judging from foreign legislation, the attitude appears to be
that if lost property is of little value and is not State-owned, finders
can be keepers.
China's legislation should be brought in line with international practice.
It is unnecessary to return items worth perhaps less than 10 yuan (US$1.23),
as the trouble it might take to track down the owner would make it impractical.
As a result, finders feel it is within their rights to keep property
of little value. For more valuable property they have the right to claim
a certain amount as a handling fee, and would expect to receive a reward.
Zhao Chenguang, an official from the Wenfeng District People's Procuratorate
in Anyang, Henan Province, said: "From a very young age, people are
educated about returning money found. However, does the new trend make
this traditional virtue seem old-fashioned?"
A young security guard from the countryside, who earned only 300 yuan
(US$37) a month, found a wallet containing 80,000 yuan (US$9,870) in cash
and other valuables whilst on duty, and took the trouble to return the
wallet to its owner in Anyang. The young man refused to accept the 5,000-yuan
(US$616) reward offered by the owner.
The media praised the young man for his righteous act, especially in
light of the fact that his father is a poor farmer and his mother has
been ill in bed for a long time. The reward money would have been a huge
help for him and his family.
Many were inspired by the unselfish security guard's actions. But others
took pity on him.
Some say the man was right not to take the reward, as he became a righteous
hero. On the other hand, some believe he could have accepted the money
with a clear conscience as it would have been proper, reasonable and lawful
to do so.
Indeed it would have been right for the young guard to take the money.
He should be rewarded not only for returning the lost wallet, but also
for his honesty and integrity. China is entering a new era of the rule
of law and people are becoming more sensitive to the principles of right
and wrong. According to the General Principles of the Civil Law of China
(the General Principles), people should be compensated for voluntary service.
It is therefore lawful to accept cash rewards.
So why did the young man refuse to accept the money? He was obviously
influenced by traditional values, and of course his action was his personal
choice. But in terms of encouraging people to act morally and rationally,
the young man should have accepted the reward.
If integrity creates embarrassment, does it mean the evaluation criterion
of this social virtue is out-dated? Should virtues advance with the times?
Xia Qingwen, a freelance writer, said: "I think people confuse the
two concepts of debt and remuneration. Their differences lie first in
voluntary service."
Volunteering is a legal concept prescribed in the General Principles,
Article 93. If a person provides services in order to protect another
person's interests when he or she is not legally or contractually obligated
to do so, he or she is entitled to claim from the beneficiary the expenses
necessary for such assistance.
The stipulation is intended to encourage people to help others in a just
cause to create a harmonious social atmosphere from a legal perspective.
It can also be viewed as an incentive to return lost property.
But if someone incurs a loss in the process of managing another's affairs
or pays necessary storage and management fees, a debtor-creditor relationship
will be formed. That is called a debt for voluntary service, which should
be repaid by the owner. This system is recognized in the majority of countries.
Remuneration is money claimed by one person, apart from necessary expenses,
for helping another, the purpose of which is to gain additional profit.
The traditional Chinese virtue advocating returning misplaced articles
aims to promote morality. In other words, it calls for people doing good
turns without counting gains or losses, which is totally different from
the debt created by voluntary service.
In a society with a market economy, if the law does not protect the rights
and interests of a voluntary service provider, rewarded only by moral
superiority, who will be willing to sacrifice his or her time, energy
and money to care for or return lost property for free? If this idea becomes
dominant, lost property will go unreturned and morality will not be promoted.
Therefore the stipulation in the draft law is reasonable and rational.
He Xiangdong, a columnist at People's Daily, said: "Returning found
money belongs to the category of moral behaviour. The legislation deals
with property rights, so the emphasis of the law should be requiring citizens
to leave lost property where it is, without being virtuous in the name
of the law. Meanwhile, it is irrational to encourage people to return
money found by way of rewarding them."
When someone finds lost property that has nothing to do with him or her
or the wider public interest, does he or she have the right to exercise
any power over those items? From the perspective of the property rights
law, the proper thing to do should be "leaving the thing where it
is."
Our Constitution has already confirmed the protection of private property,
which is inviolable. In addition, if someone returns lost property, he
or she must do so in the spirit of good will, and should not claim a reward.
As for owners, it is up to them to show their gratitude whether materially
or not. If the giving of rewards is forcibly stipulated by law, owners
may be upset and violate it. As for lost property keepers, if the law
says it is accceptable for them to claim a reward, things may turn sour.
We should not encourage good deeds by way of offering legal rewards.
We may try to preserve morality by law but will actually destroy it in
doing so.
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