Found Property - Rights & Duties of Finders & Owners
If you are the finder of property you may be eligible to file a finder’s claim (refer to ORS 985). The following criteria must be met in order to claim finder’s rights:
Money or goods must be of monetary value.
The owner must be unknown.
The finder must give written notice to the Beaverton Police Department with 10 days of the finding indicating that the finder claims the property if an owner is not located. Information and an area for you to complete to show interest in claiming the property can be found on the back side of the yellow property receipt that should have been provided to you by the officer.
The finder must cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in this county within 20 days of the finding, a notice of the finding. The notice shall be once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks.
Each notice shall state the general description of the money or goods found, phone number, and the final date before which such goods may be claimed.
If no person appears and establishes his/her ownership of the money or goods prior to the expiration of the three (3) month period after the date of the notice to this Department, the finder shall be the owner of the money or goods. NOTE: To claim, finder must produce copies of the newspaper publication (i.e. add cut out of the newspaper showing the date published).
Per ORS 98.025 - If an owner of money or goods found by another person appears and establishes his/her claim to such money or goods within the three (3) month time period, he/she shall have the property returned after paying all costs and charges incurred by the finder or this Department.
If you turn property over to the Beaverton Police Department for the period of notice and holding (3 months) pursuant to ORS 985(2), and if you do not reclaim the property within 90-days, you will be deemed to have abandoned the found property, and the Police Department will thereafter proceed to dispose of the property in the manner required by ORS 98.245.