63.21.050 - Duties of chief law enforcement officer receiving found property.

Duties of chief law enforcement officer receiving found property.

The chief law enforcement officer or his or her designated representative to whom a finder surrenders property, shall:

     (1) Advise the finder if the found property is illegal for him or her to possess;

     (2) Advise the finder if the found property is to be held as evidence in judicial or other official proceedings;

     (3) Advise the finder in writing of the procedures to be followed in claiming the found property;

     (4) If the property is valued at twenty-five dollars or less, allow the finder to retain the property if it is determined there is no reason for the officer to retain the property;

     (5) If the property exceeds twenty-five dollars in value and has been requested to be surrendered to the law enforcement agency, retain the property for sixty days before it can be claimed by the finder under this chapter, unless the owner shall have recovered the property;

     (6) If the property is held as evidence in judicial or other official proceedings, retain the property for sixty days after the final disposition of the judicial or other official proceeding, before it can be claimed by the finder or owner under the provisions of this chapter;

     (7) After the required number of days have passed, and if no owner has been found, surrender the property to the finder according to the requirements of this chapter; or

     (8) If neither the finder nor the owner claim the property retained by the officer within thirty days of the time when the claim can be made, the property shall be disposed of as unclaimed property under chapter 63.32 or 63.40 RCW.

[1979 ex.s. c 85 § 5.]