Ventura Municipal Code Ch. 1.250 Disposition of Unclaimed Property

All unclaimed property in the possession of the police department shall be handled and disposed of in the following manner:

A. Such unclaimed property except unclaimed bicycles shall be held by the police department for a period of at least four months and unclaimed bicycles shall be held for a period of at least three months.

B. Thereafter, if the property has not been claimed as herein provided, it shall be transferred to that division or department of the city having responsibility for warehousing for sale to the public at public auction. In the event that the property cannot be sold at public auction, it may then be given away to any social, benevolent, patriotic, charitable or religious organizations not organized for profit; and if any such property is of no value and cannot otherwise be disposed of by gift or sale, it may be destroyed as junk.

C. Notice of such sale at public auction shall be given at least five days before the time fixed therefor, by publication in a newspaper of general circulation published in the city and county specifying the time and place where such public sale will be held and generally describing the property to be sold at said public auction.

D. In the event the owner of any such property shall appear before the date when said property is transferred to the warehouse and reclaim said property and reimburse the city for all expenses incurred in the care and preservation of the property, then said property shall be restored to the owner. Once property has been transferred to that division or department of the city having the responsibility for warehousing, however, such property shall not be redeemable by the owner or other person entitled to possession. (Code 1971, § 6311)