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Easy, Weezy! Finder of Lost Notebook Demands Lil Wayne Stop Making Threats Over Ownership.

By Michael DeRienzo, Esq. | Last updated on

Any kid on the playground can tell you what happens if you find something that another kid lost. Most of them will probably tell you the same thing: "Finders keepers. Losers Weepers."

On the playground, there was little defense. The law of the playground was absolute. If you lost it and someone else found it, it was now their property.

In the real world, it's a little different. There are state and federal laws over lost and found property. Whether it's moneydiamondstechnologytreasure, or pets, more times than not it's not as simple as "finders keepers." In fact, you could be criminally liable if you are found to have kept lost property.

But sometimes, "finders keepers" is really the only right answer.

Worker Finds, Then Refinds, Lost Notebook

In 1999, musician Lil Wayne, born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., was an up-and-coming rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. At that time he was a member of the hip-hop group Hot Boys, signed to the record label Cash Money Records.

During the summer of 1999, the owner of Cash Money Records traded in his vehicle at a local car dealership. After the trade-in, the car dealership took possession of the vehicle and began to clean out the cars and throw out the trash.

While waiting for his mother to pick him up from work at the dealership, an anonymous individual noticed a CD in the trash can and a notebook belonging to Lil Wayne. He grabbed them. The young man, who was a minor at that time, then placed the CD and notebook on top of his closet and forgot about it until 2005 when he was cleaning his home after Hurricane Katrina. Finding the CD and notebook intact, the man then moved the contents to his garage for safekeeping until he located them again in 2019.

Lawsuits Filed Over Safety and Ownership Concerns

After the anonymous individual rediscovered the notebook in 2019, he contacted a dealer in New York to initiate a sale. Lil Wayne found out and demanded the notebook returned as lost property, not abandoned.

In response, the attorney for the anonymous individual filed suit in Louisiana seeking two things: First, that the notebook was now the property of the anonymous individual under Louisiana law because it had been possessed by him for over ten years. Second, given Lil Wayne's history of violence, that the individual remain anonymous for his own safety.

As it's a recent case, it is not yet known how the judge will decide. But, just like the kids at the playground, it'll be a question of whether "finders keepers" is still the current law. As Lil Wayne is often considered one of the greatest rappers alive, regardless of the outcome it's doubtful that anyone will call him a loser.

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