Lost property
108.—(1)  Where any lost property is deposited with a police officer at a police station or otherwise, the lost property is to be disposed of as follows:
(a)if the lost property is cash, it must, unless it is required to assist in the identification of its owner, be paid into a deposit account (within the meaning of the Financial Procedure Act 1966) specially established for this purpose, and the cash is deemed to be lost property in the custody of the Police Force;
(b)if there is a person who appears, to the satisfaction of the Commissioner, to be the owner, the lost property in the custody of the Police Force must be returned to that person unless that person —
(i)cannot be located after reasonable inquiry; or
(ii)does not exercise his or her right to recover the property;
(c)if the lost property becomes unclaimed property, the Commissioner may cause the whole or any part of unclaimed property —
(i)to be sold (by public auction or otherwise) and the proceeds of the sale to be paid into the Consolidated Fund;
(ii)if cash, to be forfeited and paid into the Consolidated Fund; or
(iii)to be destroyed or otherwise disposed of at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner thinks fit.
[10/2015]
(2)  Where any lost property is deposited with a police officer under subsection (1), the lost property becomes unclaimed property if, at the end of 30 days after the day on which the property was so deposited —
(a)there is no person who appears, to the satisfaction of the Commissioner, to be the owner of the lost property; or
(b)there is such a person but that person has not been located after reasonable inquiry or that person has not exercised his or her right to recover the lost property by a claim.
[10/2015]
(3)  The proceeds of a sale of unclaimed property under this section must be applied as follows:
(a)firstly, in payment of the expenses occasioned by the sale;
(b)secondly, in payment of storage or other expenses incurred by the Commissioner in relation to the property;
(c)thirdly, by payment of the balance into the Consolidated Fund.
[10/2015]
(4)  A person who buys movable property that is lost property sold by or on the authority of the Commissioner under this section obtains good title to that property.
[10/2015]
(5)  Despite subsection (1), if a person who appears, to the satisfaction of the Commissioner, to be the owner of lost property claims, before the end of one year starting from the day on which the property was deposited with a police officer under subsection (1), that property after it has become unclaimed property, the Commissioner may do as follows:
(a)if the property remains in the custody of the Police Force, the Commissioner may authorise the property to be returned to the person;
(b)if the property (being cash) or the proceeds of the sale of the property were paid into the Consolidated Fund, the Commissioner may authorise the refund of the property or the proceeds of the sale to the person.
[10/2015]
(6)  A finder of any lost property deposited under subsection (1) has no rights in relation to that property by reason of being the finder, and a police officer who comes into possession of any lost property in the course of his or her duties does not have the rights of a finder in relation to that property.
[10/2015]