Table of Contents Sec. 50-1. Disposition of perishable property. All goods of a perishable nature
left with any person, when the owner is unknown or when the owner neglects to take
them away after reasonable notice, shall be advertised at least one week in a newspaper
published in the county where they were left; and, if not then claimed and taken away,
may be sold at public auction, under the inspection of a state marshal of such county,
and the proceeds of the sale, after deducting the expenses thereof and the charges for
which they may be liable, shall be deposited with the treasurer of the town where they
were left, who shall hold the same, subject to the provisions of part III of chapter 32. Sec. 50-2. Disposition of goods not perishable. All goods not perishable, left with
any person or upon any public wharf or highway, and all goods, other than personal
baggage of passengers, which are left at any railroad station or in any railroad car or
carriage, and whose owner is unknown or neglects to take them away for six months from
the time when they were left, shall be advertised one month in a newspaper published in
the county where such goods were left. If the owner thereof does not take them away
within such month, they may be sold and the proceeds disposed of in the manner provided
in section 50-1. Sec. 50-3. Expressmen and common carriers; goods not perishable. Each person engaged in the express business, and each common carrier, who has in his possession
for six months any unclaimed article not perishable, may sell it at auction and out of
the proceeds retain the charges of transportation and storage and of advertising and sale.
No such sale shall be made until four weeks after the first publication, in a newspaper
published in the county in which the place is located to which such unclaimed article
or articles are consigned or addressed, of a notice of such sale, containing a description
of such articles and the name of the person to whom directed; and the expense of advertising shall be a lien upon the articles advertised, in a ratable proportion according to the
amount received for each article. Such notice shall be published at least twice within
said four weeks. No such article or articles shall be removed or transported from the
place to which consigned until after the expiration of such four weeks. Sec. 50-4. Disposition of perishable goods. If such unclaimed article is in its nature perishable, it may be sold by such person engaged in the express business or as a
common carrier, as soon as its condition makes it necessary and without the notice
required in section 50-3. Sec. 50-5. Avails to be accounted for. Escheat. Such person engaged in the express business or as a common carrier shall make an entry on his books of the balance
of the proceeds of such sales, credited to the person to whom such article was directed,
as nearly as can be ascertained, and, at any time within five years thereafter, shall, on
demand, pay such balance to the owner of such article. If such balance is not claimed
by the owner within ten years, it shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions
of part III of chapter 32. Secs. 50-6 and 50-7. Disposition of stray beasts; lost goods. Restoration to
owner if claimed; procedure if unclaimed. Sections 50-6 and 50-7 are repealed, effective October 1, 2000. Sec. 50-8. Marine vegetable deposits. No right in any marine vegetable deposit,
thrown up by the sea or by a navigable river, shall be acquired by any person by his
gathering it together upon any public beach, unless he removes it within twenty-four
hours thereafter. Sec. 50-9. Lost goods; towns may adopt procedure for. Sections 50-10 to 50-
14, inclusive, shall apply only to a municipality in which there is a police department
and in which the provisions of said sections have been adopted by ordinance. Any
statutory provision inconsistent with said sections shall not apply to any municipality
which adopts the provisions thereof. Sec. 50-10. Duties of finder. Any person who finds and takes possession of any
article of the value of one dollar or more shall report the finding of such article to the
police department of the municipality in which he finds such article within forty-eight
hours from the time of such finding. The finder of such article shall, at the time of
reporting, furnish to the police department the date, time and place of finding, his name
and address and a description of the article found, and, within a period of one week from
such finding, shall deliver such article to the police department. Any person who violates
or fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be fined not more than one
hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days or both. Sec. 50-11. Advertising; sale of perishable goods. The police department shall,
commencing within one week from the date of receipt of any lost article, advertise a
general description of such article once a week for at least two successive weeks in a
newspaper having a circulation in such municipality and shall retain custody of such
article for six months from the date of receipt thereof, unless it is claimed by the rightful
owner within such six months' period. The requirement of advertising may be omitted
when the value or estimated value of the article is less than two dollars. Perishable or
obnoxious property or articles of a dangerous or harmful nature may be sold or otherwise
disposed of as soon as practicable on the best terms available. Sec. 50-12. Restoration to owner if claimed. If the owner of any such article
claims it within six months from the date of receipt by the police department, the article
or the proceeds thereof shall be restored to him upon payment or deduction of all proper
charges. Sec. 50-13. Procedure if unclaimed. If no owner claims such article within six
months from the receipt thereof by the police department, the police department shall,
within two weeks thereafter, notify the finder of such fact by registered or certified mail
at his last-known address, and the article or the proceeds thereof shall be turned over
to the finder, upon demand by him within thirty days from the expiration of the six
months' period and upon payment or deduction of all proper charges; but, if such finder
fails to demand such article or the proceeds thereof or refuses to pay such charges within
thirty days from the expiration of the six months' period, such article or proceeds shall
belong to such municipality. The requirement of notification may be omitted when the
value or estimated value of the article is less than five dollars.
Sec. 50-1. Disposition of perishable property.
Sec. 50-2. Disposition of goods not perishable.
Sec. 50-3. Expressmen and common carriers; goods not perishable.
Sec. 50-4. Disposition of perishable goods.
Sec. 50-5. Avails to be accounted for. Escheat.
Secs. 50-6 and 50-7. Disposition of stray beasts; lost goods. Restoration to owner if
claimed; procedure if unclaimed.
Sec. 50-8. Marine vegetable deposits.
Sec. 50-9. Lost goods; towns may adopt procedure for.
Sec. 50-10. Duties of finder.
Sec. 50-11. Advertising; sale of perishable goods.
Sec. 50-12. Restoration to owner if claimed.
Sec. 50-13. Procedure if unclaimed.
Sec. 50-14. Disposition after expiration of time for making claim.
(1949 Rev., S. 7286; 1961, P.A. 540, S. 28; P.A. 00-99, S. 103, 154.)
History: 1961 act substituted "subject to the provisions of part III of chapter 32" for "subject to the order of the owner
thereof"; P.A. 00-99 replaced reference to sheriff and deputy sheriff with state marshal, effective December 1, 2000.
Goods subject to speedy decay are perishable, as also may be goods which would materially depreciate in value. 31
C. 498.
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(1949, Rev., S. 7287; 1961, P.A. 540, S. 29.)
History: 1961 act deleted provision specifying that proceeds unclaimed by owner within one year escheat to state.
See Sec. 7-285 re sale of unclaimed goods by police departments.
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(1949 Rev., S. 7288.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 7289.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 7290; 1961, P.A. 540, S. 30.)
History: 1961 act changed deadline for claiming balance from five to ten years and specified that after that time balance
will be disposed of pursuant to Ch. 32, part III where previously balance simply escheated to state.
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(1949 Rev., S. 7291, 7292; 1961, P.A. 517, S. 68; P.A. 77-183, S. 277, 291; P.A. 76-436, S. 240, 681; P.A. 00-92, S. 16.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 7293.)
Seaweed drifted on his land, belongs to riparian owner. 34 C. 422. Cast upon seashore belongs to the gatherer, but
failure to remove within twenty-four hours destroys his title. Id. Manure abandoned on highway belongs to gatherer, and
he may remove it within reasonable time. 37 C. 500.
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(1949 Rev., S. 7294; 1957, P.A. 13, S. 96.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 7295, 7300.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 7296.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 7297.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 7298.)
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