§ 2-228. Unclaimed personal property.

(a)

Disposal generally. Any article of personal property acquired by the police department in the course of its law enforcement activities shall be held by the department for 30 days, unless claimed by the owner sooner. If unclaimed at the end of that time, the property may be sold by the chief of police at public auction, for cash to the highest bidder, or may be disposed of as provided in subsection (e) of this section.

(b)

Notice of sale. The chief of police shall give notice of the time and place of the sale of unclaimed personal property by publishing a notice thereof in a newspaper of general circulation published within the municipality or, if none exists therein, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. The announcement shall be placed in one regular issue of the paper. If any of the property to be sold is of the value of $100.00 or more, the notice shall contain a general description of such property with the name of the owner thereof, if known.

(c)

List of property sold. The chief of police shall make a list, in duplicate, of the property sold under authority of subsection (a) of this section, giving, as far as possible, a general description of each piece of property sold and the name of the owner thereof, if known, and the amount of money derived from the sale thereof. One copy of the list shall be retained by the chief of police and the other delivered to the municipal clerk.

(d)

Disposition of proceeds from sale. All monies derived from sales of unclaimed personal property shall be paid to the municipal clerk and by him placed in the general fund of the municipality.

(e)

Disposal to charity. When any unclaimed article of personal property is of a value less than $50.00, the chief of police, in his discretion, may authorize it to be destroyed or given to any organization which will use such property for public or charitable purposes. For all such property given away, the chief of police shall take a receipt therefor. He shall file with the municipal clerk a list of all property destroyed or given away, showing the estimated value of each article.

(Code 1973, §§ 2-20.080—2.20.120)