Lost Property- lost, stolen or found
If property is lost or stolen it should always be reported to the Police. It is always easier to trace property and return it to the owner if it has been reported.
Found Property
If you find property and keep it, you are obliged to report your find either to the Police or to the owner within 14 days. The Police Service is obliged to accept the property and may also sequestrate it against the finder’s will. Individuals however, are not obliged to deal with found property.
Reward
The owner has the right to have the property returned against payment of a reward and payment of other reasonable expenses connected to the find. According to case law, a reasonable reward constitutes around 10% of the market value of the property.
When does the finder become the owner of the found property?
Ownership passes to the finder; if the original owner is not found within three months after the find was reported to the police or within one month after the owner was notified of the find. The Police Service may charge the finder for any costs they might have incurred in connection with the find.
Property lost in public places
Ownership of property found in public places such as business premises, busses, trains, amusement parks, sports arenas, and schools falls to the respective establishment, irrespective of who found the property. Therefore, an individual who finds lost property is not entitled to keep it but must hand it over to the establishment in question.
Definition of Lost Property
Discarded or abandoned objects are not considered lost property. This is also valid for objects without value or things that someone owns. An object left in a certain place without the owner having the intention of abandoning it is not considered lost property either.
The Police Service has a national computerized registration system at its disposal and all lost property, which is reported is entered in this system according to different identification keys such as anti-theft labels or production numbers. The process of retrieving lost property is therefore facilitated if the objects are anti-theft labelled or if production numbers have been noted.
Stolen or lost property
If property has been stolen or lost, it should be reported to the Police.
Lost Driving Licence
The loss of a driving licence can be reported to the National Road Administration or the nearest driving test office.