Man Receives 300 Times Salary By Mistake, Court Lets Him Keep It
A Chilean man has won the right to keep a staggering sum of money he received by accident which is 300 times his normal monthly salary.
In May 2022, while working as an assistant at Dan Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos de Chile, he was mistakenly paid £127,000 instead of his usual wage of around £386. Initially, he promised to return the excess amount but resigned just three days later, sparking a legal battle that lasted three years.
Court Rules ‘Unauthorised Collection’ Not Theft
The company claimed the employee had agreed to return the overpayment but left abruptly, labelling it as theft. However, a Santiago court determined the incident was an “unauthorised collection” rather than a criminal act. This distinction meant the case could not be prosecuted as theft, allowing the man to legally keep the money.
In May 2022, while working as an assistant at Dan Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos de Chile, he was mistakenly paid £127,000 instead of his usual wage of around £386. Initially, he promised to return the excess amount but resigned just three days later, sparking a legal battle that lasted three years.
Court Rules ‘Unauthorised Collection’ Not Theft
The company claimed the employee had agreed to return the overpayment but left abruptly, labelling it as theft. However, a Santiago court determined the incident was an “unauthorised collection” rather than a criminal act. This distinction meant the case could not be prosecuted as theft, allowing the man to legally keep the money.
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