Hollister Municipal Code Ch. 2.44 Unclaimed Property

All unclaimed money or property shall be kept by the police department using ordinary care to protect the same from the weather and to keep the same safely.

Unclaimed money or property shall mean any money or property found by the police officers of the city upon the public streets, alleys or ways of the city, or any property brought to the police department by others, where the owner of such property is unknown; provided, that property held as evidence, dangerous or deadly weapons, narcotics or dangerous or poisonous drugs, explosives or any property of any kind whatsoever, the possession of which is prohibited by law, as defined in the Penal Code of the state, shall not constitute unclaimed property.

(Prior code § 15-19)

A receipt shall be issued to any person other than a police officer who delivers unclaimed money or property to the custody of the police department.

(Prior code § 15-20)

If any owner of unclaimed money or property appears prior to three months from the date the money or property came into the possession of the police department and offers proof of the person's ownership, satisfactory to the chief of police, and offers to reimburse the city for any storage charges incurred, the money or property shall be delivered to the owner upon the owner's payment of the storage charges, if any.

(Prior code § 15-21; Ord. 964 § 1, 2002)

If no true owner of unclaimed money or property appears within the period of six months from the date the money or property came into the possession of the police department, and the finder of such property or money, other than a city employee, desires to claim such property or money, it shall be returned to the finder on demand if the finder, at the time of delivering the same to the police department, shall have left his or her name and address with the police department and shall have asserted a claim to such property or money if the true owner is not found.

(Prior code § 15-22)

If no claim of unclaimed money or property shall have been made by the true owner or finder of such money or property for a period of at least three months from the date the money or property came into the possession of the police department, any unclaimed money shall be deposited by the chief of police with the city finance officer for credit to the general fund of the city. Any unclaimed property other than money shall be sold at public auction to the highest bidder after notice of suchsale shall have been given by the chief of police by one publication of such notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the city, at least five days before the date of sale. All property not sold at such auction and which in the opinion of the chief of police has no value, shall be carefully destroyed by the chief or the chief's authorized agents. The proceeds of all sales of unclaimed property shall be deposited by the chief of police with the city finance officer for credit to the general fund.

(Ord. 964 § 2, 2002: prior code § 15-23)

If no claim of unclaimed bicycles or toys, or both, shall have been made by the true owner or finder of the same within three months from the date the bicycles or toys, or both, came into the possession of the police department, the police department may turn the same over to the probation department of the county of San Benito, or to the welfare department of the county of San Benito, or to any charitable or nonprofit organization which is authorized under its articles of incorporation to participate in a program or activity designed to prevent juvenile delinquency and which is exempt from income taxation under federal or state law, or both, for use in any program or activity designed to prevent juvenile delinquency.

(Ord. 911 § 2, 1998; prior code § 15-23.1)