During the repair, the father noticed something unusual near a buried pipe and carefully excavated the area. Beneath the pool, he discovered a sealed metal box containing twelve antique watches and a clock that once belonged to a Hungarian watchmaker named Tibor.
Instead of keeping the valuables, he documented everything and contacted police and an elderly neighbor who knew the property’s history. Tibor’s son later arrived, and the collection was valued at nearly $90,000. He thanked the father and offered him a $5,000 finder’s fee.
Meanwhile, Richard’s attorney confirmed that both Richard and Melissa had signed the repair authorization, forcing them to pay the full $7,800. The father’s response to the discovery summed up his character: the watches were not his, so keeping them was never an option—doing the right thing mattered more than easy money.
