Lodi Municipal Code Ch. 3.24 Lost and Unclaimed Property

Any unclaimed property in the custody of the police department of the city shall be kept by the department under lock and key in a place accessible only to authorized members of the department for a period of at least three months from the date on which the property came into the custody of the department. All such unclaimed property shall be tagged or otherwise marked to show date received and from whom or how received. A record shall also be maintained by the police department setting forth the above data, a description of the property and its disposition.

(Ord. 1462 § 1 (part), 1989; prior code § 13-1)

At such times as the chief of police may determine necessary, so much of the unclaimed property in the custody of the police department which has been held for more than three months shall be sold at public auction, the time and place of such sale to be published at least five days before the sale in the newspaper of general circulation to which the city council has awarded the contract for publication of legal notices required by law to be published in a newspaper of general circulation. The auction may be held and conducted by the chief of police or by any person selected by him to conduct the same. Sales must be for cash, at least ten percent of the amount bid deposited with the bid, the balance to be paid on delivery of the article sold. All sales are final with no right of redemption unless specifically provided by law. The chief of police or the person designated by him may give the buyer a bill of sale describing the article sold, the amount paid and the date of sale. All moneys received as proceeds of the sale shall be deposited with the director of finance to the credit of the general fund of the city.

(Ord. 1462 § 1 (part), 1989; prior code § 13-2)

All unclaimed property in the custody of the police department is subject to redemption, before its sale as provided in the preceding section, by its legal owner or his authorized representative, upon proof of ownership and proper identification.

(Prior code § 13-3)

Unclaimed property of no monetary value may be destroyed by the chief of police with consent of the city manager. Perishable property may be sold without notice and the proceeds thereof held for the benefit of the legal owner for at least three months, when, if such proceeds are unclaimed, they shall be paid into the city treasury as in the case of sales of other property.

(Ord. 1462 § 1 (part), 1989; prior code § 13-4)

The owner of any property coming into the custody of the police department as unclaimed may be assessed a reasonable charge for the safekeeping thereof. If it be necessary that the same be placed for safekeeping in a warehouse, the owner shall be liable for the total amount of the storage charges thereon and the cost of transportation to the warehouse.

(Prior code § 13-5)