Re: can i legally claim ownership of abandoned personal property

California has a detailed process for landlord's to dispose of abandoned property. That process includes notice to the former tenant and public sale of property if valued at more $300. Failure to follow these procedure potentially exposes that landlord to actual damages. I'd recommend that you landlord review Civil Code 1965, et seq.

If the landlord decides to forego this process and simply allows you to take the property, the question is whether you have any liability? I am not aware of any law directly on point. However since you are not a "good faith purchaser for value" (i.e. you're getting the items free

Re: can i legally claim ownership of abandoned personal property

California has a detailed process for landlord's to dispose of abandoned property. That process includes notice to the former tenant and public sale of property if valued at more $300. Failure to follow these procedures potentially exposes that landlord to actual damages. I'd recommend that you landlord review Civil Code 1965, et seq.

If the landlord decides to forego this process and simply allows you to take the property, the question is whether you have any liability? I am not aware of any law directly on point. However since you are not a "good faith purchaser for value" (i.e. you're getting the items for free and are aware of their “abandoned” status), you may very well be required to reimburse a former tenant for the value of the property under an equitable theory.

My recommendation is to make sure the landlord follows the procedures referenced above for abandoned property.

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