Hidden Treasure: Who's Is It?

My sister-in-law forwarded this story to me and I thought I'd post my opinion here, and ask you yours.

Contractor, homeowner fight over money found hidden in walls
Last Update: 12/12 1:15 pm

CLEVELAND (AP) - A contractor in Cleveland who helped discover bundles of Depression-era currency totaling $182,000 hidden behind bathroom walls says the homeowner should turn the money over to him or at least share it. Bob Kitts says his feud with the owner of the 83-year house has deteriorated to the point where they speak to each other only through lawyers. Kitts says his lawyer has drafted a lawsuit that he hopes will force Amanda Reece to turn over the money she has kept. He says most of the currency, issued in 1927 and 1929, is in good condition, and some of the bills are so rare that one currency appraiser valued the treasure at up to $500,000. Reece accuses Kitts of extortion.

The full AP accounting is available at the link.

It seems obvious to me. If Amanda Reece owns the home, she owns everything in it. The contractor she hired to do the work, is her employee, and therefore anything he finds while working on her property, is still hers. When she offered him 10% of the treasure, that was a kind gesture he probably should have taken.

Possession is 9/10ths of the law they say. But we'll see ... the AP (which seems slanted toward the contractor, no quotes from Reece) says it will go to court. Me thinks that if it does ... Mr. Contractor better hope there isn't a loser pays system there.

But what do you think? Technically he found it. Is he entitlted to it?