Found Property
Found Property
Procedures regarding Found Property as detailed in the Oregon Revised Statutes
Rights & Duties of Finders & Owners
98.005 Rights and duties of finder of money or goods. (1) If any person finds money or goods valued at $250 or more, and if the owner of the money or goods is unknown, such person, within 10 days after the date of the finding, shall give notice of the finding in writing to the county clerk of the county in which the money or goods was found. Within 20 days after the date of the finding, the finder of the money or goods shall cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county a notice of the finding once each week for two consecutive weeks. Each such notice shall state the general description of the money or goods found, the name and address of the finder and final date before which such goods may be claimed.
(2) If no person appears and establishes ownership of the money or goods prior to the expiration of three months after the date of the notice to the county clerk under subsection (1) of this section, the finder shall be the owner of the money or goods. [1973 c.642 §1; 1989 c.522 §1]
98.015 Liability of noncomplying finder; forfeiture to county of unreclaimed money or goods. If any person who finds money or goods valued at $250 or more fails to comply with ORS 98.005, the person shall be liable, upon conviction for violation of ORS 164.065, to the county for the money or goods or the full value of the money or goods. The county treasurer shall hold the money or goods or their value for owner thereof and shall publish notice of the finding of the money or goods in the manner provided in ORS 98.005. If the owner has not reclaimed such money or goods within three months after the date of the first publication of notice by the county treasurer, the owner shall forfeit the rights of the owner to the value of such money or goods and the value of such money or goods shall be placed in the general fund of the county to be used for the payment of the general operating expenses of the county. [1973 c.642 §2; 1989 c.522 §2]
98.025 Rights of owner. If an owner of money or goods found by another person appears and establishes a claim to such money or goods within the time period prescribed by ORS 98.005 or 98.015, whichever applies, the owner shall have restitution of such money or goods or their value upon payment of all costs and charges incurred in the finding, giving of notice, care and custody of such money or goods. [1973 c.642 §3]
Release of Found Property to Finder (PDF)
Persons wishing to claim property found by them shall comply with the provisions of ORS 98.005 "Rights and duties of finder of money or goods".
The general procedure for the above ORS is as follows;
- Value of $250.00 or more and owner is unknown.
- Within ten (10) days after found, give written notice to County Clerk of county where found.
- Within twenty (20) days after found, publish notice of finding in newspaper once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks.
- Each notice shall state the general description of item(s) found, name/address of finder and final date item may be claimed.
- The finder may claim the item(s) after three (3) months from the date that notice was given to the County Clerk if no one claims ownership.