Man helpfully returns expensive iPhone to owner, demands reward｜Taiwan News

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A Hsinchu resident has whipped up controversy online after he angrily complained he deserved a reward for finding an expensive smart phone and returning it to its owner. The man found an iPhone 17 Pro and took it to a police station. When the owner came to collect it, he demanded a 10% reward, which is roughly NT$3,000, but was rebuffed. While horrified netizens thought his demands went against the spirit of helping others, a lawyer says the demand was actually in accordance with Taiwanese law.

If you accidentally lose an expensive smart phone and then someone finds it, you should thank your lucky stars. But when a person found a smart phone and took it to a police station for the owner to claim, he demanded a 10% reward, which would be roughly NT$3,000. When the owner refused, he was infuriated and expressed this in an online post.

The netizen made a public post online saying: “I found the phone on the afternoon of New Year’s Day and asked the owner for a 10% reward. Isn’t that my right? I helped them find their phone, and kept it safe, but it seems like I’m trying to extort 10% from them. In the end, I didn’t receive the 10% and the police returned the phone to the owner. No matter what happens, I will file a lawsuit.” His lengthy and scathing tirade stunned many other netizens, and some said it would have been better if he’d never found it.

Member of the public
If someone demanded 10% from me, I might be stunned and feel uncomfortable, but if the object was important to me, I would give it.

Member of the public
I think it’s a bit unreasonable, because even if someone helped you find it, that doesn’t mean you should expect or demand something in return.

Returning lost property is a virtue, but when the finder’s demand for a 10% reward was refused, and he even threatened to sue the owner, it sparked heated discussions online. However, a lawyer said that it’s actually legal to claim compensation.

Li Chia-hao
Lawyer
According to the provisions of Article 805, Paragraph 2 of the Civil Code, the finder may request a reward from the owner, but the reward cannot exceed one-tenth of the property’s value. If the owner is unwilling to pay, the finder can file a lawsuit against the owner to request a reward.

In fact, there have been incidents in the past where people found watches or phones, and filed lawsuits after failing to get compensation. Although it’s lawful to ask for a reward, aggressively suing undermines the spirit of helping others out of goodwill.

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