NY Pers Prop L § 253 (2021)
2021 New York Laws PEP - Personal Property Article 7-B - Lost and Found Property 253 - Duties of Police.

§  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.   The police with whom found property or a found instrument is deposited as  provided  in  this  article shall give to the person depositing it a receipt identifying the  transaction  of  deposit  and  identifying  the property  or  instrument.  Such identification may be by description and recital of the  facts  of  the  transaction  or  by  reference  numbers, duplicate copies of records, or other method connecting the receipt with the records of the police with respect to the property or instrument and the transaction.   2. Such property or instrument shall be transmitted, together with the report  of  the  person  who deposited it with the police, to the police officer  or  other  official  designated  to  hold  such   property   or instrument,  who shall make entry in his records of such deposit and the report of the person depositing such property  or  instrument  with  the police.   3.  If  the  report  of  the  person  who  deposited  the  property or instrument shows that the property or instrument was found  in  a  place other  than  a  public  street  or  highway,  the police with whom it is deposited shall give notice of the finding and  deposit,  including  the location   of  the  office  to  which  the  property  or  instrument  is transmitted, to the occupant of  the  premises  where  the  property  or instrument was found or to the person in charge of such premises.   The  police  with whom an instrument is deposited shall give notice of the deposit to each person whose  name  and  address  appears  upon  the instrument  or  whose  name so appears and whose address is known to the police.   4. If at any time the police have reason to believe that a person  has an  interest  in  found  property  or  in  a  found  instrument in their possession and reason to know his whereabouts, they shall give notice of the finding and deposit and the location of  the  office  to  which  the property or instrument is transmitted to such person.   5. (a) Property having salvage value only may be sold by the police in such  manner  as  may  be  reasonable in the circumstances.   Perishable property shall be sold by the police as soon as possible in such  manner as may be reasonable in the circumstances.  (b)  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.  (c)  Any property may be sold by the police at public auction when the expenses reasonably incurred in dealing with it, including  expenses  of taking  of  custody,  transportation, storage and appraisal, any special expense incurred  in  giving  notice,  and  any  other  special  expense attributable  to  administration  of  this  article  with respect to the particular property, amount to more than one-half the amount  reasonably estimated  as  the  net  sum  likely  to  be  realized by sale at public auction.  (d) If property is sold as provided in this subdivision  the  proceeds remaining  after deducting the amount of reasonable expenses of the sale and reasonable expenses of dealing with the property prior to the  sale,  including  any  items  of  expense  mentioned in paragraph (c), shall be dealt with as lost property having the value of the property sold.   6.  Subject  to  subdivision three of section two hundred fifty-six of this chapter and to section thirteen hundred  ten  or  other  applicable section  of the abandoned property law, instruments shall be retained in the custody of the police with whom they were deposited until  delivered to  the  person  entitled  thereto  as  provided  in section two hundred fifty-five of this chapter.   7. Except as provided in subdivision  three  of  section  two  hundred fifty-six  of  this  chapter,  lost  property,  and the proceeds of sale pursuant to subdivision five of this section remaining  after  deduction of  expenses  as  provided  in  that  subdivision,  shall be kept in the custody of the police for the following periods, unless sooner delivered to the owner as provided in section two hundred fifty-four:   Property having a value of less than one hundred dollars  or  proceeds of  property having such value, three months; property having a value of one hundred dollars or more  but  less  than  five  hundred  dollars  or proceeds  of  property  having such value, six months; property having a value of five hundred dollars  or  more  but  less  than  five  thousand dollars  or  proceeds  of property having such value, one year; property having a value of five thousand dollars or more or proceeds of  property having such value, three years.   8.  Three months before the expiration of the period applicable to the property in question, as specified in subdivision seven of this section, if the property has not been delivered  to  the  owner  as  provided  in section  two  hundred  fifty-four,  the  police shall give notice to the owner, if known, and to any person they have reason to  believe  has  an interest  in  the  property,  if the address or a former address of such owner or person is known, and to all persons who have made claim to  the property,  and  to  the  finder  and  any  person  who  has filed notice asserting the right of the finder as provided  in  section  two  hundred fifty-six.  Such  notice  shall  be  in  writing  and  shall  be  served personally or sent by certified mail to the last known  address  of  the person  to  whom  it is sent and shall state, in substance:  (a) that if within three months after the date of personal service or mailing of the notice the owner does not claim the property, and if at the end of  such three  months no action is pending to determine rights to such property, written notice of which action was served upon the police having custody of the property, the property will be delivered to the finder or, if  he establish  his  right,  to  a person entitled to assert the right of the finder as provided in section two hundred fifty-six; and (b) that if  at the  expiration  of  three  months  and  ten  days after the date of the personal service or mailing of the notice, the owner has not claimed the property and the finder, or a person entitled to assert the right of the finder as provided in section two hundred fifty-six,  has  not  demanded delivery  of  it,  and  no action is pending to determine rights to such property, notice of which was served upon the police having  custody  of the  property, it will be sold at public auction; and (c) in the case of property in the custody of the state police, that the  proceeds  of  the sale  will  be deposited in the abandoned property fund of the state and in the case of property in the custody of other police that the proceeds will become the property of the city, county, town or village.