A. If the reported value of the property is two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), or more, and no person appears and proves his or her ownership of the property within ninety (90) days, the police department shall cause notice of the found property to be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation. If, after seven (7) days following the first publication of the notice, no owner appears and proves his or her ownership of the property and the person who found or saved the property pays the cost of publication of the notice, the title to the property shall vest in the person who found or saved the property, unless the property was found in the course of employment by an employee of any public agency, in which case the property shall be sold at public auction. Title to the property shall not vest in the person who found or saved the property or in the successful bidder at the public auction unless the cost of publication is first paid to the city, whose police department caused the notice to be published.
B. If the reported value of the property is less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), and no owner appears and proves his or her ownership of the property within ninety (90) days, the title shall vest in the person who found or saved the property, unless the property was found in the course of employment by an employee of any public agency, in which case the property shall be sold at public auction.
C. This chapter is enacted pursuant to California Civil Code section 2080.4 in that the unclaimed property shall be: 1) held by the police department for at least three (3) months, and 2) that thereafter such property shall be sold at public auction to the highest bidder, with notice of such sale being given by the city's chief of police at least five (5) days before the time fixed thereof by publication once in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county, or that thereafter such property shall be transferred to a local government purchasing and storage agency for sale to the public at public auction. Such property shall not be redeemable by the owner or the other person entitled to the possession. If the city determines that such property transferred to it for sales is needed for a public use, such property may be retained by the agency and need not be sold. (Ord. 2731, 2011: Ord. 2636 § 1, 2006)