(a) The Police Department shall be charged with the custody of such unclaimed personal property as may come into its possession, and shall dispose of such personal property as provided in this section unless otherwise specified by State law.
(b) The Department shall keep a list or written record of all unclaimed property, the date taken into possession by the Department and the final disposition thereof. If sold, the amount received shall be certified by the Chief of Police.
(c) All personal property unclaimed by the owner for six months or more, in possession of the Department, may be sold at a public sale. Notice of such sale shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the County at least ten days before the sale. The notice shall describe the property and shall state the time and place of the public sale at which the property may be purchased by the highest bidder. A notice of such publication shall also be posted in a public place in the City Hall Building at least five days before the sale.
(d) At any time prior to the date of the sale, the owner, upon proving ownership, may claim the property at the Department and the sale of such property shall be cancelled.
(e) Receipts from the sale shall be deposited with the Treasurer who shall deduct the costs of the sale, including advertising and storage costs, and reimburse the City for such costs and then deposit the remaining funds in the General Fund.
(f) If, within six months after any sale, an owner of property sold shall file a claim with the Department and prove his or her ownership of the property sold, the Treasurer shall pay to such owner the amount received from the sale, less all costs incurred by the City relating to such property and the sale thereof. No sums shall be paid if the claim is not made within six months of the date of the sale.
(g) Unclaimed personal property having little or no intrinsic or commercial value may be returned to the finder thereof, or disposed of by the Department after a record is made of the matter.
(h) Perishable produce may be sold within twelve hours if unclaimed, and animals after forty-eight hours if unclaimed, without the necessity of notice of sale by publication or posting. The Treasurer shall be notified by the Department of the proposed sale and the terms thereof.
(i) If the unclaimed property consists of currency which has been surrendered to the Department by the finder thereof, such currency shall be retained by the Department for a period of three months from and after the date the same was deposited with the Department by the finder thereof. If the amount deposited is twenty dollars ($20.00) or less, and at the expiration of such three-month period the currency has not been claimed by the rightful owner thereof, the same shall be delivered and turned over to the finder by the Department. If the amount found and deposited with the Department exceeds twenty dollars ($20.00), then the currency shall be retained by the Department for a period of six months, and if not claimed by the rightful owner thereof within such period shall be turned over to the finder thereof by the Department.
(j) Motor vehicles and firearms or other weapons shall be disposed of in the manner provided by State law and are not subject to the provisions of this section.
(Ord. 75-24. Passed 10-27-75.)