5.40.030 Disposition.
If the property is unclaimed by the lawful owner or finder, if any, after the publication and/or mailing of the notice of possession and the expiration of the time periods as required by WMC 5.40.020 has expired, the property shall be disposed of as follows:
A. Valuable found property, including money, shall be returned to the finder, so long as the finder submits a completed request for recovery of the valuable found property on a form and in the manner required by the department at the time the valuable found property was submitted to the department. In no event shall the return of valuable found property to the finder terminate, alter or in any way impact finder’s responsibilities under federal, state or local law.
B. All property, other than money, which is not addressed by subsection (A) of this section shall be subject to a claim by the police chief that retention of such property for use by the city will serve the public interest. Weapons so claimed by the police chief may be used for trading or bartering in order to acquire equipment for police use. If the police chief does not make such a claim, the property that is legal for private ownership and not precluded by court order shall be sold at a public auction. The proceeds from that sale shall be reported to city council for allocation pursuant to the annual budget process and, unless otherwise determined, shall be budgeted for crime prevention, reserve, or explorer’s unit of the police department. Unclaimed money shall be paid into the city treasury.
C. Sale of Property.
1. Sale of unclaimed property shall be to the highest qualified bidder by public auction. The city may establish a minimum bid amount for unclaimed property and refuse to sell unclaimed property for less than that amount. If the minimum bid is not met at public auction, the city may dispose of the unclaimed property in any lawful manner, including but not limited to the destruction or disposal of the unclaimed property.
2. Unless expressly stated by the city in a notice of public auction, all unclaimed property sold at auction is sold “as is” and the city makes no guarantees regarding the property or any liens existing on that property. The city is authorized to execute any documents necessary or desirable to complete the transfer of ownership. (Ord. 23-18 § 5, 2023; prior code § 7.25.030)