Pursuant to Section 2080.4 of the Civil Code of the state of California, the following regulations shall govern the care, restitution, sale or destruction of unclaimed property in the possession of the police department, except property the disposition of which is otherwise established by the Vehicle Code (motor vehicles), the Penal Code (firearms and other dangerous weapons), the Government Code (money), the Code of Civil Procedure (property escheating to the state) or some other provision of Federal, state or local law that is controlling.
(Ord. 79-6 § 6(A), 1979)
"Unclaimed property"
is defined as all tangible personal property except money which has come into the possession of and is held by the police department for a period of at least four months, or in the case of a bicycle, for a period of at least three months, and to which property no claim has been lawfully made by the owner, purported owner, or other person entitled to the possession thereof.
(Ord. 79-6 § 6(B), 1979)
All unclaimed property subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be offered for sale at public auction to the highest bidder by the chief of police, with notice of such sale being first published in the newspaper of general circulation within the city or, if none, in a newspaper which is generally circulated in the county of Fresno at least five days prior to the time fixed therefor. The notice of sale shall give a general description of the property and the date, time and place of sale.
(Ord. 79-6 § 6(C), 1979)
If such property remains unsold after the public auction, the city may retain the same for use by the city, or the city may dispose of the same by gift to a nonprofit organization, or the city may cause the property to be destroyed.
(Ord. 79-6 § 6(D), 1979)