Who Owns Valuables Left by a Former Tenant
A landlord in New York rents furnished apartments. The current tenant of a unit found some jewelry sewn into a mattress. The jewelry was probably left by a former tenant who passed away, with no known heirs. Who has the right to claim the jewelry: The tenant, the landlord's property manager to whom the tenant gave the jewelry, or the landlord?
Re: Who Owns Property Left by a Tenant
Pursuant to the New York Property Code, Sec. 251, et seq, unless a different municipal ordinance applies -- and you can expect that an ordinance will have similar requirements -- the jewelry should be turned over to a police department, along with information about possible owner(s). If no claim is made, the property would normally be returned to the finder at the end of the statutory notice / waiting period, the finder being the person who first takes possession of the lost property.