Poor Man Removes His Lawn and Realizes His Entire Yard Is Covered in Dollars — Story of the Day

Poor man Steven is finally able to replace his lawn. Suddenly he discovers a layer of cash hidden beneath the sod. He imagines a life of wealth and ease, but when others try to claim his money, Steven goes on the run.

"I should never have joined the darned Homeowner's Association," Steven muttered as he sliced his patchy lawn into strips. "They can take their stupid fines and stick 'em."

It took the better part of the day to cut through the sod. The new grass was being delivered tomorrow, and Steven just wanted to be done with this whole ordeal. He started rolling up the sod and immediately found something strange.

"Why would anyone put a layer of plastic under their lawn?" Steven exclaimed.

He kicked the roll of sod, tugged on the corner of the plastic sheet, and fell on his butt in amazement at what he saw there. Several stacks of dollar bills were tightly packed to form a double layer over another sheet of plastic.

"Holy moley," Steven whispered as he stared out across the expanse of his lawn.

Steven's hands were shaking by the time he finished rolling up his old lawn. Every square foot had a layer of plastic beneath it. Every inch of that was covered in a layer of dollar bills. He had no idea how much it was all together, but Steven was pretty sure he'd just become a millionaire.

"God bless those persnickety Karens on the HOA." Steven threw back the plastic covering. He started stuffing the money into a trash bag, but then a gust of wind sent the bills swirling into the air. Steven leaped up to catch them.

"Wowee! Is that what I think it is?"

Steven's heart leaped into his throat. He turned and saw his neighbor, Billy, leaning on the picket fence separating their yards.

"You can't tell anyone about this, Billy, you hear me?"

Steven worked even faster now to get the money safely packed away. "I don't want anybody knocking on my door asking about money."

"I can't believe you'd even suggest I'd go telling folks about this. I aint no gossip, Steve." Billy raised his hands and pulled an innocent face.

"Oh, I know, and that's why I'm asking you to keep this to yourself."

The very next day, Steven drove to the police station to report the find so it could legally be declared his. Officer Wilson, who lived down the block from Steven, stood up when he entered the door.

"Here’s our lucky guy!” Wilson grinned at him. “I wish I could find a treasure. Maybe then I could move out of my parents' house and get a place of my own."

"Uh-huh." Steven shook his head. So much for Billy not being a gossip! "Well, I guess you know why I'm here then. I've got to fill out some paperwork before I can legally claim that money, don't I?"

"Yes, sir!" Wilson grinned as he started searching through various forms. "I'll have that ready for you in no time."

"Hold on there, Wilson. I hate to put a damper on Mr. Johnson's good fortune, but that money don't belong to him."

Steve turned and stared at the man who'd just entered the police station. He clenched his jaw and ground his teeth as he recognized one of the HOA board members he hated the most: Bryan.

"What do you mean, Mr. Smith?" Wilson frowned at the newcomer.

"Y'all know Davis, who lived there before Steve, was part of a gang, don't you?" Bryan glanced from Wilson to Steve.

"Aint nobody ever proved that, sir." Wilson frowned at Bryan.

"Only because they were too scared to go against him when he was alive, and there wasn't much point in bringing it up after he passed."

Bryan leaned on the desk as he lowered his voice to a whisper. "But I know he stole my money. Wasn't anybody else who knew I had it in my safe, and next thing I knew, money was gone. Until now."

"Hold up now, you can't mean to tell me the man who owned my home before was a gangster who stole your money and hid it beneath his lawn. How are you planning to prove that?" Steven asked.

Bryan shrugged. "Everybody knows the only reason Davis wasn’t arrested is because nobody found my money. Nobody could even investigate properly because his gangster buddies shot him a week later." Bryan arched his eyebrows. "The better question is: How are you going to prove it's not my money?"

"Well, that sure complicates things." Wilson pulled a face. "I'm afraid we'll have to open a police investigation, Mr. Johnson. I'm going to have to ask you to bring that money in until the matter is concluded."

"Are you kidding me?" Steven slapped his palm down on the desk. "This man walks in here with a tall tale about gangsters and stolen money, and you're just going to take his word on it?"

"Are you calling me a liar?" Bryan scowled at Steven.

"I'm calling you an opportunist." Steven pointed at Bryan. "You heard about what I found and decided to take advantage of it."

"I'm going to have to ask you to step outside if you keep slandering my good name." Bryan squared his shoulders and rolled up his sleeves.

"Nobody is going to be brawling inside or outside this police station." Wilson stepped round the desk to stand between the two men. "Now, I'm sorry this seems unfair, Mr. Johnson, but we've got to follow protocol. I'm going to open an investigation, and you've got until the end of the day to bring in that money, you hear me?"

Steven broke off from glaring at Bryan to meet Wilson's gaze. This whole darn thing was ridiculous, but what choice did he have? He didn't want to get in trouble with the police.

"Fine, I'll bring the money in today," Steven snarled.

Steven climbed into his car and beat his fist against the steering wheel. He was so angry he thought he might catch fire. He swore and turned to grab one of the bags filled with money from the backseat.

He didn’t want to give it to the cops, not even for a second. This money was going to change his life. It was going to allow him to turn that shack he’d bought on foreclosure into a home where he might one day raise a family. He couldn’t let that dream slip through his fingers.

"Screw Bryan and his bull." Steven stuffed the money back in the bag and shut it.

"This money belongs to me, fair and square, and there's no way I'm going to give it up."

Steven's car tires screamed as he roared out of the police parking lot. He didn't have a thought in his head about what he was going to do or where he'd go, but he was determined to hang onto his cash no matter what.

Steven's anger at Bryan and Officer Wilson soon faded, and fearful nervousness rushed in to replace it. He couldn't go home in case one of his neighbors came around, but now the sun was getting low. Wilson had given him until the end of the day to bring in the money. Since he hadn't complied, the cops would soon be looking for him.

"What sort of mess have I got myself into?" Steven moaned as he hunched over the steering wheel. It seemed like the only solution was to leave town.

Steven took a complicated detour through the suburbs until he reached the off-ramp, then he stepped on his brakes so quickly that the cars behind him erupted in a chorus of hooting horns.

Steven swerved across traffic and turned back to avoid the patrol car parked on the verge. His heart was racing, and he spent more time looking in his rearview mirror than at the road ahead as he sped away. He didn't even realize he'd run a red light until he saw the truck right in front of him.

"Aw, shoot!" Steven swerved hard to avoid a collision. His breath felt thick as water as he watched the truck pass him by with barely an inch to spare.

A siren wailed. Steven glanced back the way he came just as the patrol car's blue and red lights came to life. He shook his head, stepped on the gas, and sped away.

Steven pulled into the undercover parking for a mall, grabbed a money bag in each hand, and fled into the night. Wailing sirens haunted the air as he dashed from one shadow to the next.

A tall figure appeared suddenly before him as Steven jogged past the dumpsters behind a fast food restaurant. His heart skipped a beat as the figure loomed closer.

"Could you spare a few dollars, mister?" The figure stepped into the light from the restaurant's back windows. It was a raggedy man who approached Steven with outstretched hands.

"Ain't nobody getting my money!"

Steven ran around the man and ducked into an alley. He sprinted until he reached the next street and stopped dead when he saw a police car drive past.

"They're everywhere," he muttered. There was nothing else for it. He'd have to find a place to lie low so he could figure the best way out of this situation.

The neon lights of a motel sign caught his eye. Sweat dripped down Steven's temples as he watched the police car reach the end of the street and turn. He quickly dashed across the road, dodging traffic, and entered the motel office.

"Give me a room for the night," he breathlessly demanded. "I'm paying cash, and I'll give you a big tip to keep my name out the register, understand?"

Steven opened the motel room door just wide enough to enter and immediately locked it once he was inside. He dropped his bags of money on the floor while he shut the curtains, then crouched down on the floor to peep beneath them so he could watch the parking lot and street.

Minutes ticked by with no sign of trouble. Steven didn’t want anyone to know the room was occupied, so he used the torch on his phone to look around the room. It wasn't anything fancy, but that was probably for the best. Surely nobody would think to look for him here.

Steven stared at the phone in his hand. The lock screen showed a picture of the cabin nestled between tall fir trees where he’d stayed on his last camping trip. When he saw it, Steven knew exactly who to call for help.

Steven chewed the inside of his cheek while waiting for his call to go through. It felt like forever before a familiar voice answered.

"Thank the Lord, Jarred!" Steven exclaimed. "I've got myself into a real fix and I need your help to get out of it."

"Mr. Do-no-wrong Steven is in trouble?" Jarred laughed. "What have you done?"

Steven explained all about finding the money, his confrontation at the police station, and how he'd spent the rest of the day dodging cops. At the end of all that, he begged Jarred for help.

"Oh boy. You sure are in a fix," Jarred tutted. "Luckily you came to the right person. I know how to solve your problem, so long as you show me the proper appreciation afterward. Just you sit tight, and leave everything to me."

The following day, Steven sat in the passenger seat of Jarred's truck, wringing his hands.

"You're all clear on how this is going to play out, right?" Jarred glanced at Steven.

"I reckon so," Steven replied.

"Good man." Jarred thumped him on the shoulder before pulling into an undercover parking area. "Now, you're sure this is where you left your car?"

"It's right there." Steven pointed at his car through the window.

Jarred parked next to Steven's car, and both men climbed out. It was still early morning, and there was no one about to see the two men as they got everything in place for Jarred's plan. A few minutes later, Steven climbed into his car.

"I'm scared, Jarred." Steven turned to look at his friend through the open car window.

"Of course you are, but you're doing the right thing for your future." Jarred grinned at him. "Go on now, the sooner you get out there, the sooner you'll be done with this."

Steven drove around midtown five times without encountering a single police car. He parked beside a fire hydrant and stared out his car windows, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel while he waited for the police to appear.

"This is just ridiculous," he muttered after ten minutes of waiting. "This place was crawling with police last night, but now I can't find a single one."

It seemed there wasn't much point in waiting around, so Steven drove toward a different part of town.

"Finally!" Steven cried when he saw a police car drive through the intersection ahead of him. He swore as he looked out at the two cars in front of him and the traffic light ahead. He couldn't let that cop car get away!

Steven sped after the police car the moment the traffic lights changed. He glimpsed it traveling up and over a small rise in the road ahead, and put his foot down on the gas. He leaned on the horn as he skipped through the next intersection. As he closed in on the car, he was rewarded with the flash of lights and the siren's wail.

"Good day, Officer." Steven grinned at the police officer who'd approached his window after he pulled over. "What can I do you for?"

The officer peered at Steven for a moment, then beckoned to her partner. Steven watched with anticipation as the two officers spoke together.

“I’m going to need you to step out of the vehicle.” The first officer said when she returned to the car. "You're a wanted man and I'm placing you under arrest!"

Steven stepped out of the car with his hands in the air while the second police officer started searching his car.

"This is what we're looking for!" The second officer exclaimed when he opened one of the bags on the backseat.

Steven nodded. "That's all the money I found under my lawn, officer. You can't blame me for wanting to hang onto it, can you? Just look at that pile of cash."

"I am, and I'm going to ask you what you've done with the real money." The officer waved a stack of cash at Steven.

"This here is all counterfeit."

"What!" Steven tried to take the money, but the first police officer shoved him against the car.

"No sudden moves!" The second officer barked in his ear.

"That money aint counterfeit, it can't be!" Steven tried to angle his head to get a better look at the money in the second cop's hand. "You mean to tell me I did all of this for fake money? That all this cash is worthless?"

"It would appear so, mister."

The police kept Steven in jail for three days while they investigated. Those were three of the longest days of his life, but since they couldn't charge him with anything, they had to let Steven go. He was so happy to see Jarred waiting for him that he almost hugged his friend.

"I'm proud of you," Jarred said as they drove away. "Not everyone would've had the guts to do what you did."

"Wasn't like I had much choice, Jarred." Steven shrugged. "The police would've caught up to me eventually no matter how well I hid."

"Well, there won't be any more hiding for you." Jarred grinned. "Can't prosecute a man for trying to keep a treasure that turned out to be fake, right?"

“Too right!” Steven laughed. "It's a right shame you didn't stick with law school, Jarred."

Jarred drove them straight to his motel. They locked themselves in the room then Jarred reached under the bed and started pulling out trash bags.

"Here's your real treasure," Jarred said. "Safe and sound, just like I promised."

"My new life starts now!" Steven opened the bag and threw a handful of cash into the air. He watched the dollar bills float down around him. Life sure was good, but a heavy knock at the door brought it all to an end.

"Must be the takeout I ordered," Jarred said as he walked to the door. He turned to gesture at the money lying on the floor. "You'd best hide all of that."

Steven knelt down and started sweeping the cash under the bed. There was a second knock on the door, louder this time.

"Hold your horses, I'll be with you shortly," Jarred called out. He waited until Steven had tidied all the money away and then unlocked the door.

Immediately, the door pushed open with enough force to send Jarred reeling. One man pushed through, then another. A third slipped in behind them and locked the door once more.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Steven cried out.

"Claiming what's rightfully mine." The third man turned and pointed a gun at his head.

"I'll be taking back the money Davis stole for me now." The man grinned. "And thank you very much for ensuring the police will never come looking for it, or dig their noses too deeply into my business. Real kind of you, Steven."

What can we learn from this story?

• Always look a gift horse in the mouth. Just because you get something for free doesn’t mean you shouldn’t investigate the reasons and origins of the gift. Too often, people are lured into bad situations by the temptation of free money or gifts.
• Greed is a merciless master. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting more from life, a person who gives in to greed becomes so consumed with acquiring money and possessions that nothing satisfies them anymore.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who finds a clue to her husband's location weeks after he disappears.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.