§ 62-102. Notification of owner.

(a)

Whenever a police officer ascertains that an article of lost or abandoned property is present on public property and is of such nature that it can be easily removed, the officer shall take such article into custody and shall make a reasonable attempt to ascertain the rightful owner or lienholder pursuant to the provisions of this section.

(b)

Whenever a police officer ascertains that an article of lost or abandoned property is present on public property and is of such nature that it cannot be easily removed, the officer shall cause a notice to be placed upon such article in substantially the following form:

NOTICE TO THE OWNER AND ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ATTACHED PROPERTY. This property, to wit:   (setting forth brief description)   is unlawfully upon public property known as   (setting forth brief description of location)   and must be removed within five days; otherwise, it will be removed and disposed of pursuant to F.S. ch. 705. The owner will be liable for the costs of removal, storage, and publication of notice. Dated this   (setting forth the date of posting of notice)  , signed:   (setting forth name, title, address, and telephone number of police officer)  .

(c)

Such notice shall be not less than eight inches by ten inches and shall be sufficiently weatherproof to withstand normal exposure to the elements. In addition to posting, the police officer shall make a reasonable effort to ascertain the name and address of the owner. If such is reasonable available to the officer, he shall mail a copy of such notice to the owner on or before the date of posting. If the property is a motor vehicle as defined in F.S. § 320.01(1) or a vessel as defined in F.S. § 327.02, the city shall contact the state department of highway safety and motor vehicles or the state department of environmental protection, respectively, in order to determine the name and address of the owner and any person who has filed a lien on the vehicle or vessel as provided in F.S. § 319.27(2), 319.27(3) or 328.15(1). On receipt of this information, the city shall mail a copy of the notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the owner and to the lienholder, if any. If, at the end of five days after posting the notice and mailing such notice, if required, the owner or any person interested in the lost or abandoned article described has not removed the article from public property or shown reasonable cause for failure to do so, the provisions of sections 62-103 and 62-104 shall apply.

State law reference

Similar provisions, F.S. § 705.103(1), (2).