What's the Rule on Stealing Change From Fountains and Wishing Wells?

San Marcos — Police say someone apparently intent on stealing coins broke into a San Marcos cave late Sunday or early Monday. The area of Wonder Cave is known as the “Wishing Well.” “Someone apparently tried to lower themselves down the elevator shaft to steal money out of there,” San Marcos Police Sergeant Fred Wisener said. The crime was discovered because a canvas bag was found by Wonder World staff at the bottom of the well, Wisener said, adding that the suspect or suspects also left a broken flashlight behind.

What’s the protocol here, is this actually considered stealing? I’ve always wondered that, I mean these coins technically don’t belong to anyone, do they? It’s always been a mystery to me why homeless people waste so much time collecting cans and lugging them around in shopping carts when they could just go to the local mall or park and get the coins without the middle man, plus the added benefit of a bath. 

That said I completely see a mall freaking out if you went to take their change on them...Listen guys, the fountain aint a tip jar, we're not just flipping those coins in to say thanks to Simon for providing us such a great mall.  I think the best route to go on those is to treat them as a giant leave a penny take a penny tray, allow someone to take up to a dollar a day out of the thing, but that's it. I think that'd be a pretty fair resolution.

Personal wells on the other hand are a whole other thing. These are directly on someone's property and the homeowner definitely has some sort of claim to the cash. I'd say a 50/50 finders fee split for any bounty collected works in this case. Lets be honest, there aren't many home owners that are cool with being lowered down a 3 foot wide hole to the bottom of a well via wooden bucket and rope, if some adventure seeker/member of the Goonie family wants to take a crack at it, all the power to them, just know you're doing it for the thrill, not the riches.