5.40.020 Notice of possession.
A. The police chief shall publish identification of valuable found property on the city website or the city social media page for a period of at least 30 days. During the same time period the police chief shall send copies of the notice by mail to the last known apparent owner and to the finder, if any, at their respective last known address, unless the intended recipient of the notice waives notification by mail and consents to receipt of notice by telephone or email.
B. The police chief shall mail notice to the apparent owner of safekeeping property when such property becomes eligible for release. Notice under this subsection shall be mailed to the address identified by the apparent owner or their representative at the time the property was taken into possession by the police department. Safekeeping property will be considered unclaimed and abandoned if the apparent owner of the property does not take possession of it 30 days or less after the date of the written notice required under this section.
C. Except as otherwise provided in this section, abandoned safekeeping property shall be disposed of in the same manner provided in WMC 5.40.030. The police department shall constitute the finder of the abandoned safekeeping property.
D. Every notice mailed or published pursuant to this section shall contain the following:
1. A general description of the property and case number associated with the property;
2. The date the police department first obtained possession of the property;
3. Notice that the identified property must be claimed no more than 30 days from the date of the notice and that property unclaimed 30 days after the date of the notice shall constitute abandoned safekeeping property subject to disposal as provided in WMC 5.40.030; and
4. Notice that cash money that remains unclaimed for 30 days after the date of the notice constitutes abandoned and unclaimed property and may be deposited into the city treasury and become property of the city.
E. The police chief shall have the discretion to identify records and documents sufficient to prove apparent ownership of property governed by this chapter. A claimant of property governed by this chapter shall bear the burden of proving lawful ownership or right of possession. (Ord. 23-18 § 4, 2023; prior code § 7.25.020)