NY Pers Prop L § 256 (2021)
2021 New York Laws PEP - Personal Property Article 7-B - Lost and Found Property 256 - Exceptions.

§  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.2. If the finder is an officer or employee of the state or of a public   corporation  and  takes  possession of the property in the course of his   official duty, the state or public corporation shall be deemed to be the   finder for the the  purposes  of  section  two  hundred  fifty-four  and   section  two hundred fifty-seven of this chapter. If, in any other case,   the finder is an employee under a duty to deliver the lost  property  to   his  employer,  the  employer  shall  have  the  rights of the finder as   provided in section two hundred fifty-four if, before  the  property  is   delivered  to  the  finder  by the police, he shall file with the police   having custody of the property a written notice asserting such rights.3. If either lost property deposited with the police or an  instrument   deposited  with the police was discovered upon the enclosed safe deposit   premises of a safe deposit company or safe deposit department of a bank,   the police shall return it to the safe deposit company or  bank  at  the   expiration  of six months from the date of deposit. Upon receipt thereof   the safe deposit company or bank shall hold the property  or  instrument   as  bailee  for  the  person  entitled  thereto.  If such person has not   claimed it at the expiration of fifteen  years  from  the  date  it  was   returned  by  the  police  and  the  property or instrument has not been   delivered to the state comptroller pursuant to an order of  the  supreme   court  as  provided  in  section  thirteen  hundred ten of the abandoned   property law, the safe deposit company or bank shall pay that portion of   such property which consists of money to the  comptroller  as  unclaimed   property.  The  safe deposit company or bank shall sell such property as   does not consist of money and shall sell such  instrument  at  a  public   sale,  and  the proceeds from such sale, less the expenses of such sale,   including the costs of any advertising,  shall  be  paid  to  the  state   comptroller  as  unclaimed  property.  Any  such  property or instrument   determined to be valueless at  such  sale  shall  be  delivered  to  the   comptroller as unclaimed property.4.  A  person  who  finds  or  comes into possession of property or an   instrument while he is in or on a transportation facility  while  it  is   being  operated  as  such  shall  be  subject  to the provisions of this   article if he leaves the transportation facility at any  place  in  this   state  taking  with  him  at  the  time of such departure property or an   instrument found by him in or upon the transportation facility or  found   property  or a found instrument of which he acquired possession while in   or upon the transportation facility. In such case  the  place  where  he   leaves   the  transportation  facility  taking  the  found  property  or   instrument with him shall be deemed for the purposes of this article  to   be the place where the finding occurred or possession was acquired.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, 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,   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.A  transportation  company,  safe  deposit  company  or bank retaining   possession of property or an instrument  pursuant  to  this  subdivision   after  report  of  its  acquisition of possession thereof shall (a) give   notice of its acquisition of possession of the instrument to each person   whose name and address appears  on  the  instrument  or  whose  name  so   appears and whose address is known to it, and (b) if such transportation   company,  safe  deposit  company  or  bank  has reason to believe that a   person has an interest in the property or instrument and reason to  know   his  whereabouts,  shall  give notice to him of its possession. But this   paragraph does not require  that  a  transportation  company  give  such   notice  or notices with respect to instruments enclosed in an article of   baggage or in a briefcase, purse or like article at the time it acquired   possession of such article.6. If at any time an  action  or  proceeding  shall  be  commenced  to   determine  the  right  to found property or to an instrument and written   notice of such action shall be served upon the police having custody  of   the  property or instrument, the police shall not thereafter deliver the   property or instrument to any person except pursuant to court order.7. This article does not supersede or limit any other statute or  rule   of  law  governing  custody or disposition of articles in the custody of   the police which constitute evidence of the commission of  a  crime,  or   which  may  not  lawfully  be  possessed,  or  which may not lawfully be   possessed without license.