Fresh twist in tradies' battle for $500k cash they found buried on a construction site as it's revealed the money was wrapped up in Chinese newspapers - and now NONE of them may be able to keep it
- Two tradesmen have stumbled across thousands of dollars on a work site
- Old notes worth $488,000 were found in containers in a backyard in Gold Coast
- Warren Bruggy and Daniel Boyd handed the cash into police and are claiming it
- They were immediately sacked by their boss who was angry they didn't tell him
- The boss, the developer, and a man who claims his father buried it also want it
A bitter legal fight over almost $500,000 in old bank notes found in a construction site has taken a turn after it was revealed the money was wrapped in Chinese newspapers.
Excavator operator Warren Bruggy and labourer Daniel Boyd found the cash in October last year while working in the Gold Coast and immediately handed it in to police.
Despite their honesty the pair were suddenly sacked by their boss - who is also claiming the money under ancient 'finders keepers' laws.
Joining them in the complicated legal stoush is the landowner and developer, and a man who claims his father Stephen Ma buried it to avoid paying tax.
A bitter legal fight over almost $500,000 in old bank notes found in a construction site has taken a turn after it was revealed the money was wrapped in Chinese newspapers
Excavator operator Warren Bruggy and labourer Daniel Boyd found the cash in October last year while working in the Gold Coast and immediately handed it in to police
They money was found wrapped in a black plastic bag inside a plastic container
According to Supreme Court documents Peter Chan, Stephen Ma's brother-in-law who used to own the property, has claimed in 1993 he once saw Mr Ma bundle $50 and $100 notes into a black plastic bags.
He also claimed Mr Ma asked him to keep the bundles of cash at his house but refused, 9news reported.
'He didn't want to deposit it into a bank account to avoid taxation,' Mr Chan told police.
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In his affidavit, he also claimed Mr Ma's home was filled with Chinese newspapers which were circled and marked in various places in pen for seemingly no reason.
Morrison Construction Services claimed the money could not have been Mr Ma's as he 'lacked the capacity and ability to have earned an amount of money as large as $476,630'.
The group alleged Mr Ma 'threw away, and therefore abandoned, the cash found at the property'.
A bitter legal fight has erupted over almost $500,000 in old bank notes found in a construction site by two tradies
The men who initially found the cash claimed the owner 'disclaimed possession of those items removed during excavation'.
While bitter legal is ongoing, Christine Smyth, a leading lawyer specialising in inheritance, wills and estates, has warned none of the claimants could end up with the cash.
She said if the court came to the conclusion that none of those people were entitled to the money, it would go to the Queensland state government or into general revenue for the Federal Government.
Restaurant owner Raymond Ma (left) is claiming the cash on behalf of his deceased father Stephen (right), who he claims buried the money to avoid paying tax
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