Woman ‘flabbergasted’ when bank tells her she can’t deposit $6k in cash she’d found after misplacing four years ago

A California woman was left “stunned” when her bank refused to deposit $6,000 in cash she found four years ago after she lost the money.

Mary Venegas, 66, told CBS Sacramento She left an envelope containing $6,000 in cash in her yard sometime in 2020.

After searching for four years for the money, which she initially intended to use to pay her taxes, she found the envelope on the floor, covered in cardboard.

“It was a really nice feeling, we had been looking for it for so long,” said Venegas.

But when she went to deposit the money at her local Bank of America branch — where she has been a loyal customer for decades — the bank refused to accept it because some of the bills were water damaged and had torn corners.

“I was stunned,” she said.

Venegas, who has a steady income, hoped to use the newly acquired money to pay her winter utility bills, which she still has not paid.

“I don’t want to be indebted to others, and I don’t want to be indebted to others at all,” she explained.

“I’m behind on my bills, and I’m not the type of person who likes to be in debt.”

Venegas left an envelope containing $6,000 in cash in her yard sometime in 2020, and recently found it on the ground under some cardboard

She said the bank refused to accept the money because some of the notes had water damage and the corners were torn off.

The U.S. Treasury Department will exchange damaged money, but only if less than half of the bill remains, or if its value is in question due to its condition.

But it could take six months to three years for the government process to be completed.

“You know, I have to be honest. What if I die before I ever get it?” asked Venegas, eager to know the value of her money.

“When you get old, you think about all these things — you know, you worry about everything. And I don’t like to do that,” she explained.

“But when we found it, we thought, ‘Oh good, good good. Now we can pay off this and that.’

Bank of America later reconsidered and accepted $5,700 of the $6,000

Fortunately, investigative reporters from CBS Sacramento discovered that more than half of Venegas’ bills were still intact and the value of each bill was clearly labeled.

They then asked Bank of America to reconsider its refusal, and the bank employees accepted $5,700 of the $6,000 in cash.

She now has to send the remaining $300 to the Treasury to have them replaced, because she says she learned “my husband has to do it.” [the money] to the bank.’

DailyMail.com has reached out to Bank of America for comment.