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06 / 05 / 2026
Returning Money Taken by Mistake After Spending It
A grandmother gave her grandson twenty dollars thinking it was ten dollars. The mother spent it, and when the grandmother asked her about the amount, the mother told her it was twenty dollars and that she had spent it. The grandmother then cursed her. Does the mother have to return the amount that exceeds ten dollars?
Answer
I say, and with God's help: If there was an error in the payment, and if you became aware of the error after dealing with the money, you are only required to return the excess amount that you dealt with; because the money no longer belongs to the recipient after you became aware of the error. However, if you became aware of the error before dealing with it, you must return the ten dollars. And God knows best.
