[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Rotterdam 2-17-1964. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 266.
The following rules and regulations for administering the provisions of Article 7-B of the Personal Property Law, and Article 13-A of the General Municipal Law, be and are hereby adopted effective immediately.
The Lieutenant in charge of the detective division of the Rotterdam Police Department is hereby designated as the public officer to accept and keep custody of found property and found instruments, and to conduct all sales and auctions as hereinafter provided for.
Found property prior to public auction shall be appraised by a dealer in such property and a value placed thereon as to the net sum likely to be realized at a public sale thereof of any article valued on its face at more than $100.
Derelict automobiles and other found property having no value may be destroyed by the police or donated to charitable organizations as scrap metal.
Property having salvage value only may be sold by the police in such manner as may be reasonable in the circumstances.
Property which requires special care may be kept by the police in public or private facilities which the police deem appropriate for the purpose of preserving it, and may be sold by the police at public auction when the cost of keeping it amounts to 1/2 its value.
Perishable property shall be sold by the police as soon as possible in such manner as may be reasonable in the circumstances.
Lost property, and the proceeds of sale pursuant to §§ 198-5, 198-6 and 198-7 above, shall be kept in the custody of the police for the following periods unless sooner delivered to the owner as hereinafter provided:
A. 
Property having a value of $500 or less: six months.
B. 
Property having a value of more than $500, but less than $5,000: one year.
C. 
Property having a value of $5,000 or more: three years.
Proceeds of all sales under these rules and regulations after the payment of expenses of the sale and expenses of keeping or storing the property prior to sale shall be kept in a special account by the Lieutenant in charge of the detective division, who shall thereafter turn same over to the Supervisor for deposit in the general fund, upon the expiration of the limitation of time set forth herein.
Any person surrendering found property or a found instrument for deposit with the police, shall be given a receipt identifying the transaction of deposit and identifying the property or instrument.
Records shall be maintained as to where all property is found, such as a public street or highway or on private property with the name of the occupant of said private property.
Notices to owners and finders of lost property shall be given by the Lieutenant in charge of the detective division as provided in § 253, Subdivision 8, and § 254 of the Personal Property Law.
A record of all found lost property shall be made by the officer who originally receives same in accordance with these rules.
A record shall be kept of the disposition of all found lost property of value, as to who claimed same, address of such person and date when claimed.
The proceeds of all sales of property as hereinbefore provided for shall be paid into the general fund of the Town of Rotterdam, from the special account of the Lieutenant in charge of the detective division, after the expiration of the time provided in § 198-8 hereof.
For the purposes of these rules and regulations, a person reporting lost property to the police shall not be considered the finder thereof unless such person asserts said claim at time of notification of location of said property to the police.