Source: https://www.animallaw.info/statute/ny-lost-dog-article-7-b-lost-and-found-property
Timestamp: 2016-04-29 18:00:45
Document Index: 490201669

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 251', '§ 251', '§ 252', '§ 253', '§ 254', '§ 255', '§ 256', '§ 257', '§ 258', '§ 251', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 252', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 18', '§ 253', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 3', '§ 254', '§ 1', '§ 3', '§ 255', '§ 1', '§ 256', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 257', '§ 258']

NY - Lost Dog - Article 7-B. Lost and Found Property. | Animal Legal & Historical Center
Full Statute Name: Mckinney's Consolidated Laws of New York Annotated. Personal Property Law. Chapter 41 Of the Consolidated Laws. Article 7-B. Lost and Found Property.
Primary Citation: McKinney's Personal Property Law § 251 to 258
Statute Text: § 251 . Definitions
§ 252 . Found property and found instruments to be deposited with police; penalty for failure to deliver to police; delivery to persons in possession of premises where found
§ 253 . Duties of police
§ 254 . Disposition of lost property
§ 255 . Disposition of instruments
§ 256 . Exceptions
§ 257 . Title to lost property
§ 258 . Proceeds to be paid into fund
§ 251. Definitions 1. The term "property" as used in this article means money, instruments payable, drawn or issued to bearer or to cash, goods, chattels and tangible personal property other than (a) "instruments" as defined in subdivision two of this section, (b) animals, (c) wrecks governed by the provisions of the navigation law, (d) logs and other property governed by section three hundred twenty-three of the town law and (e) vehicles governed by the vehicle and traffic law.
2. The term "instrument" as used in this article means a check, draft, promissory note, bond, bill of lading, warehouse receipt, stock certificate or other paper or document, other than those payable, drawn or issued to bearer or to cash and other than money, evidencing, representing or embodying a chose in action or a right with respect to property or a share, participation or other interest in property or in an enterprise.
3. The term "lost property" as used in this article includes lost or mislaid property. Abandoned property, waifs and treasure trove, and other property which is found, shall be presumed to be lost property and such presumption shall be conclusive unless it is established in an action or proceeding commenced within six months after the date of the finding that the property is not lost property.
4. The term "owner" as used in this article means any person entitled to possession of the lost property as against the finder and against any other person who has made a claim.
5. The term "finder" as used in this article means the person who first takes possession of lost property.
6. "Transportation facility" as used in this article means a railroad car or coach, Pullman car, street surface railroad car, subway car, motor bus, motor coach, taxicab, aircraft or steamship, and any other vehicle or conveyance used for carriage of persons whether or not such use is in the course of a business of transporting persons. "Transportation company" as used in this article means the person carrying on a business of operating a transportation facility. A taxi driver is a "transportation company" with respect to a taxicab which he owns and operates as owner.
CREDIT(S) (Added L.1958, c. 860, § 1; amended L.1974, c. 795, §§ 1, 2; L.1975, c. 106, §§ 1, 2.)
§ 252. Found property and found instruments to be deposited with police; penalty for failure to deliver to police; delivery to persons in possession of premises where found 1. Except as provided in subdivision five of section two hundred fifty-six of this chapter or as otherwise prescribed pursuant to section two hundred fifty of the general municipal law, any person who finds lost property of the value of twenty dollars or more or comes into possession of property of the value of twenty dollars or more with knowledge that it is lost property or found property shall, within ten days after the finding or acquisition of possession thereof, either return it to the owner or report such finding or acquisition of possession and deposit such property in a police station or police headquarters of the city where the finding occurred or possession was acquired, but if the finding occurred or possession was acquired in buildings or on grounds or premises under the control and supervision of the commissioner of general services as described in article two of the public buildings law, then the property may also be deposited in a station of the capital buildings police. If the finding occurred or possession was acquired outside a city, then such property shall be deposited in a station or substation of the state police or in a police station or police headquarters, including a sheriff's office, of the county, town, or village where the finding occurred or possession was acquired. If the finding occurred or possession was acquired in buildings or on grounds or premises constituting a state park, parkway, recreational facility or historic site under the jurisdiction of the commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preservation, then such property may also be deposited in a station of the regional state park police. If the finding occurred or possession was acquired in buildings or on the grounds or premises of the state-operated institutions in the state university of New York, then such property may also be deposited with a security officer or police officer appointed by the state university. Property so deposited shall be retained and disposed of in accordance with procedures set forth in sections two hundred fifty-three through two hundred fifty-seven of this chapter except that the powers and duties in said sections mentioned to be performed by the police shall be performed by security officers or police officers appointed by the state university.
(Added L.1958, c. 860, § 1; amended L.1974, c. 157, § 1; L.1981, c. 131, § 1; L.1982, c. 820, § 1; L.1989, c. 641, § 1; L.1998, c. 424, § 18, eff. Jan. 1, 1999.) § 253. Duties of police 1. Unless otherwise prescribed in accordance with section two hundred fifty of the general municipal law or section two hundred twenty-five-a of the executive law and unless otherwise provided by law applicable specifically to matters prescribed in this section, the police with whom found property or a found instrument is deposited shall accept and retain custody of the property or instrument, or proceeds of the property in the event of a sale pursuant to subdivision five of this section, and shall give notice of such custody, as provided in this section.
CREDIT(S) (Added L.1958, c. 860, § 1; amended L.1962, c. 222, §§ 1, 2; L.1969, c. 672, § 1; L.1974, c. 795, § 3.)
§ 254. Disposition of lost property Except as provided in section two hundred fifty-six of this chapter, lost property deposited with the police, and the money constituting proceeds of lost property sold as provided in subdivision five of section two hundred fifty-three remaining after deduction of expenses as therein provided, shall be disposed of as follows:
CREDIT(S) (Added L.1958, c. 860, § 1; amended L.1962, c. 222, § 3.)
§ 255. Disposition of instruments 1. An instrument deposited with the police shall be delivered to the person entitled thereto upon payment of all reasonable expenses incurred in connection therewith.
CREDIT(S) (Added L.1958, c. 860, § 1.)
§ 256. Exceptions 1. If a finder takes possession of lost property while he is upon premises with respect to which his presence is a crime, the person in possession of the premises where the lost property was found shall have the rights of the finder as provided in section two hundred fifty-four of this chapter, if, before the property is delivered to the finder by the police, he files with the police having custody of the property a written notice asserting his rights.
For the purposes of subdivision four of section two hundred fifty-two of this chapter, a transportation facility shall be deemed "premises" and "person in possession of the premises" shall include any person actually operating a transportation facility and any officer, agent or employee of the transportation company actually or apparently authorized to receive delivery of the property or instrument.
For the purposes of subdivision three of section two hundred fifty-three, a transportation facility operated by a transportation company shall be deemed "premises" and the transportation company, or its officer, agent or employee authorized to act with respect to custody of lost and found property, shall be deemed to be the person in charge of such premises.
5. Except as otherwise prescribed pursuant to section two hundred fifty of the general municipal law, if the person who reports the finding or acquisition of possession of found property or an instrument is (a) a transportation company subject to the provisions of an act of congress known as the "interstate commerce act," as amended, [FN1] or engaged in air transportation pursuant to certificate or permit of the civil aeronautics board issued pursuant to an act of congress known as the "civil aeronautics act of nineteen hundred thirty-eight," as amended, [FN2] and the property or instrument was found on a transportation facility operated by such transportation company or (b) a safe deposit company or bank and the property or instrument was found on enclosed safe deposit premises of such safe deposit company or of the safe deposit department of such bank, such transportation company, safe deposit company or bank shall not be required to deposit such property or instrument at the time the report is made, but shall within sixty days after it acquired possession of the property or instrument deposit such property or instrument with the police to whom the report was made, unless within such time the property has been returned to the owner or the instrument has been returned to a person entitled thereto. Such transportation company, safe deposit company or bank shall hold such property or instrument subject to inspection at any time by the police to whom the report was made or by the police designated by an agreement pursuant to section two hundred fifty-one of the general municipal law.
CREDIT(S) (Added L.1958, c. 860, § 1; amended L.1971, c. 1021, § 1.)
§ 257. Title to lost property 1. The title to lost property which has been deposited with the police shall vest in the finder, or other person entitled to assert the rights of the finder as provided in section two hundred fifty-six of this chapter, when the property is delivered to him in accordance with section two hundred fifty-four of this chapter and shall vest in the buyer when the property is sold as provided in section two hundred fifty-three or two hundred fifty-four of this chapter.
§ 258. Proceeds to be paid into fund Proceeds from the sale of lost property, less lawful deductions, or the money constituting lost property, shall be paid into the treasury of the county, city, town or village in the police department of which the property was deposited unless otherwise provided pursuant to section two hundred fifty of the general municipal law or other applicable statute, or into the abandoned property fund of the state if the property was deposited with the state police, the capital buildings police or the regional state park police or returned to a safe deposit company or bank pursuant to section two hundred fifty-six of this chapter, or into a fund established pursuant to subdivision eight of section three hundred fifty-five of the education law if the property was deposited with a security officer or police officer appointed by the state university.