N.Y. Surrogate's Court Procedure Act § 1126: Property without value where no administration had

§ 1126. Property without value where no administration had.

Whenever the public administrator shall receive papers or property of

a decedent upon whose estate no letters have been issued or whose

property is not sufficient to require administration under 1116, the

public administrator is authorized to abandon or destroy all such papers

and property in his possession after 5 years have elapsed from the death

of the decedent and upon proof satisfactory to him that they are without

value. The public administrator and the city of New York shall not be

liable or held to account for such property.