San Francisco County Municipal Code Art. 19 Disposal of Unclaimed Property

Sec. 1400. Lost Property in Possession of Police Department. Sec. 1401. Notification of Owner. Sec. 1402. Claim Procedure. Sec. 1403. Payment of Costs. Sec. 1404. Disposal of Property. Sec. 1405. Notice of Sale. Sec. 1405.1. Unclaimed Personal Property Worth $500 or Less; Unclaimed Bicycles. Sec. 1406. Property Useful in Police Department. Sec. 1408. Abandoned Property. Sec. 1409. Hazardous Property.

SEC. 1400. LOST PROPERTY IN POSSESSION OF POLICE DEPARTMENT. Whenever lost personal property comes into the possession of the San Francisco Police Department, it shall be retained and disposed of in accordance with the terms of this Article. (Added by Ord. 216-81, App. 5/4/81) SEC. 1401. NOTIFICATION OF OWNER.

The Police Department shall notify by first class mail the owner of the property, if his or her identity and address are reasonably ascertainable, that it possesses the property and where and when it may be claimed, and of the provisions of Sections 1403 and 1404 hereof. (Added by Ord. 216-81, App. 5/4/81) SEC. 1402. CLAIM PROCEDURE. If the owner appears to claim the property, he or she must establish ownership of the property to the satisfaction of the Police Department, and in addition to any other proof of ownership, shall sign a declaration of ownership under penalty of perjury. (Added by Ord. 216-81, App. 5/4/81) SEC. 1403. PAYMENT OF COSTS. Before releasing the property to its owner, the owner shall pay to the Police Department the sum of $1 per day for each day the property was in possession of the Police Department, beginning 10 days after the notification required by Section 1401, to defray costs of storage and care of the property. Refusal to pay such costs shall constitute a waiver of any claim to ownership. (Added by Ord. 216-81, App. 5/4/81) SEC. 1404. DISPOSAL OF PROPERTY. If the owner of the property does not claim the property in accordance with the provisions of this Article and pay the costs provided in Section 1403 within four months after the date the Police Department mailed the notice provided for in Section 1401, or if no notice was given, within four months after the property came into possession of the Police Department, the Police Department shall sell the property at public auction or transfer it to the Human Services Agency of the City and County of San Francisco or to the Purchaser of the City and County of San Francisco, as provided in this Article. The Police Department shall determine whether the property shall be sold at public auction or transferred to the Human Services Agency or to the Purchaser. (Added by Ord. 216-81, App. 5/4/81; amended by Ord. 567-82, App. 12/9/82; Ord. 23-14, File No. 131206, App. 3/14/2014, Eff. 4/13/2014) SEC. 1405. NOTICE OF SALE. If the Police Department determines to sell the property at public auction, it shall cause notice of such sale to be published once in a newspaper of general circulation published in the City and County of San Francisco. Such publication shall be at least five days prior to the date of such sale and shall briefly identify the property and set forth the date, time, and place of the sale. If the property is not sold at the auction, it may be retained for a future auction, transferred to the Purchaser, or destroyed, at the option of the Police Department. (Added by Ord. 216-81, App. 5/4/81)

BICYCLES. (a) Except as provided in Subsection (b), if the Police Department determines that the unclaimed lost personal property is valued at not more than $500, the Department may, instead of selling the property at public auction pursuant to the terms of this Article, turn the property over to the Human Services Agency for use in any program or activity designed to prevent juvenile delinquency. (b) The Police Department shall turn over unclaimed lost bicycles valued at not more than $500 to the Human Services Agency for use in any program or activity that is designed to prevent juvenile delinquency. If any such unclaimed bicycles cannot be used in a program or activity designed to prevent juvenile delinquency, the Human Services Agency may use those unclaimed bicycles in any program or activity designed to serve low-income and transit-dependent populations in San Francisco. (Added by Ord. 567-82, App. 12/9/82; amended by Ord. 23-14, File No. 131206, App. 3/14/2014, Eff. 4/13/2014)

SEC. 1406. PROPERTY USEFUL IN POLICE DEPARTMENT. If the Police Department determines to transfer the property to the Purchaser and also determines that the property is needed for its own use, it shall notify the Purchaser's office to this effect. If the Purchaser concurs that the property is needed for such use, it shall cause the property to be retransferred to the Police Department for its use. (Added by Ord. 216-81, App. 5/4/81) SEC. 1407. [REPEALED.] (Added by Ord. 216-81, App. 5/4/81; repealed by Ord. 23-14, File No. 131206, App. 3/14/2014, Eff. 4/13/2014) SEC. 1408. ABANDONED PROPERTY. The provisions of Sections 1400 through 1406 of this Article have no application to things which have been intentionally abandoned by their owner. Any such items may be sold by the Police Department at any time at public auction or transferred to the Purchaser as provided in Sections 1405 and 1406, or destroyed, at the option of the Police Department. No publication of notice of sale shall be required. (Added by Ord. 216-81, App. 5/4/81; amended by Ord. 23-14, File No. 131206, App. 3/14/2014, Eff. 4/13/2014) SEC. 1409. HAZARDOUS PROPERTY. Any property, whether or not that described in Section 1400, which comes into the possession of the Police Department and which, in the judgment of the person in charge of the property control section of the Police Department, is dangerous to person or property and cannot reasonably be safely stored by the Police Department shall be destroyed or rendered safe upon their coming into possession of the Police Department. (Added by Ord. 216-81, App. 5/4/81)