Pismo Beach Municipal Code Ch. 3.24 Unclaimed Property

For the purpose of this chapter, "unclaimed property" means any and all property in the possession of the police department for which no claim or demand has been made and property for which no owner has been found. (Prior code § 3.32.010)

The police department is authorized to sell at public auction, to the highest bidder, all unclaimed property which has been in the possession of said department for a period of more than one hundred and twenty days, upon notice of such sale, given by the chief of police at least five days before the time fixed thereof by publication once in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county. (Prior code § 3.32.020)

Any unclaimed property remaining unsold after being offered at such public auction may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the police department. (Prior code § 3.32.030)

If the reported value of the property is twenty-five dollars or more and no owner appears and proves his ownership of the property within one hundred and twenty days, the police department shall cause notice of the property to be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation. If after seven days following the first publication of the notice, no owner appears and proves his ownership of the property and the person who found the property pays the cost of the publication, the title shall vest in the person who found 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 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. (Prior code § 3.32.040)

If the reported value of the property is less than twenty-five dollars and no owner appears and proves his ownership of the property within one hundred and twenty days, the title shall vest in the person who found the property, if they so desire it, 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. (Prior code § 3.32.050)

If it is determined that any unclaimed property could be used by any department of the city, such property may be retained by the police department for assignment to that city department. (Prior code § 3.32.060)

All money received from the disposal of unclaimed property shall be deposited into the general fund. (Prior code § 3.32.070)