Arizona Laws 12-941. Disposal of certain unclaimed property in the custody of a state, county, city or town agency
A. A state, county, city or town agency shall dispose of all property that was used as evidence and that remains unclaimed in the hands of the agency, after final disposition of the cause in which so used, or that was seized by a peace officer as being used unlawfully or for an unlawful purpose and that was held unclaimed from the date of seizure, or that came into the hands of the agency as unclaimed or contraband. A law enforcement agency may retain and use those items that have a useful value to that law enforcement agency.
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 12-941
- Dispose: means the transfer of property by its return to the owner, sale, conversion or destruction or by any other means of disposal. See Arizona Laws 12-940
- Found property: means recovered, lost, surrendered, abandoned or otherwise received property that is turned over to a public agency where the owner may or may not be known and that is not classified as evidence. See Arizona Laws 12-940
- Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Property: means any item, including currency, that is held for safekeeping or as evidence or found property or that has been abandoned, unclaimed or awarded by the court. See Arizona Laws 12-940
- United States: includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Arizona Laws 1-215
B. Found property turned over to a state, county, city or town agency may be returned to the person who found and turned it over if all of the following conditions apply:
1. The property is not contraband or a firearm.
2. The property remains unclaimed for thirty days after reasonable efforts have been made to locate and notify the owner.
3. The person who found and turned over the property is not a public officer or employee of the federal, a state or a local government who found the property in the course of performing the duties of the office or employment.
C. If United States currency is delivered to the proper agency pursuant to subsection A of this section, it shall be deposited in the general fund of the state, county, city or town, as the case may be.
D. A record of all transactions shall be maintained for at least twenty-four months.