Lost property rights

Susilou

Hello

I would like to know what my rights are in respect of finding lost property. I found an expensive item in a department store and handed it in. I gave them my contact details and was advised that they would let me know what happened to the item. Upon querying this I have been told my the same store that they only keep valuables for a set amount of time, they do not contact the finder and that the item may have been auctioned at a charity event but they are not sure. I have spoke to head office who have advised that the store did not follow the correct policy and that I should have been able to claim the item however they do not know if the store still has the item. Please can you advise what my rights are

marliepanda

You have no rights.

The item was never yours, so you have no loss. The only person who lost the item was the person who lost it.

In future, hand it in to the police, who 9/10 do contact you.

You've done a good deed, handed in an item that wasn't yours and possibly raised some money for charity. Congratulations.

Poppie68

As the finder you are entitled to the property if no owner comes forward but as it is a common law and not a stature law there's not much to be done about it. Maybe the real owner came back for it, if it's an expensive item I doubt they would not attempt to back step and trace it... If it has been auctioned off for charity then it's presumably been put to a good cause

hollydays

I'm very dubious of stores that do this . I'd make an appointment to speak to the store manager to look at the entry in their lost / found property register .
I once left some expensive makeup in a store fitting room. The staff told me it hadn't been handed in. I contacted the security staff-they found it under a counter at the till next to the fitting room.

Poppie68

hollydays wrote: »

I'm very dubious of stores that do this . I'd make an appointment to speak to the store manager to look at the entry in their lost / found property register .
I once left some expensive makeup in a store fitting room. The staff told me it hadn't been handed in. I contacted the security staff-they found it under a counter at the till next to the fitting room.

What would the op gain though?. There is no law in place to back the op up, they have no loss either because the loss is the rightful owners.

specialboy

How can the store auction the item off? It's not their property to dispose of and should be turned over to the police surely

Zandoni

marliepanda wrote: »

In future, hand it in to the police, who 9/10 do contact you.

The police are really interested in lost property anymore.

http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Lost-and-Found-Property/1400026020816/1400026020816

The worrying thing with this is that if no records are kept anyone could of taken the goods.

hollydays

Poppie68 wrote: »

What would the op gain though?. There is no law in place to back the op up, they have no loss either because the loss is the rightful owners.

Staff are guided by their company policies which are supposed to be followed.
when I managed to get my makeup back, I was suspicious too that it could have disappeared so quickly , I could have trusted in the honestly of the staff there , I didnt , why should the staff be allowed to help themselves to freebies.
The head office have said correct procedure havent been followed, which stinks quite frankly. It should be entered into a lost property book and signed off as to what's been done with it.
It's no incentive to staff who find things and hand them in either.If staff find money ( it happens) and hand it in-why would they bother if it's going to line someone else's pocket .

TonyMMM

The police only ever dealt with property lost/found in the streets - on private premises it is is the policy of the premises owner that matters, the finder has no automatic rights.

BykerSands

TonyMMM wrote: »

The police only ever dealt with property lost/found in the streets - on private premises it is is the policy of the premises owner that matters, the finder has no automatic rights.

That's not true.

DCFC79

Susilou wrote: »

Hello

I would like to know what my rights are in respect of finding lost property. I found an expensive item in a department store and handed it in. I gave them my contact details and was advised that they would let me know what happened to the item. Upon querying this I have been told my the same store that they only keep valuables for a set amount of time, they do not contact the finder and that the item may have been auctioned at a charity event but they are not sure. I have spoke to head office who have advised that the store did not follow the correct policy and that I should have been able to claim the item however they do not know if the store still has the item. Please can you advise what my rights are

Your rights to what ?

Why not just let it go.