Okla. Stat. tit. 2, § 2-2-14.2: Abandoned or stolen property--Storage--Disposal

A. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry

is hereby authorized to take possession of, store, and dispose of

certain abandoned and stolen personal property as provided in this

section.

B. The Department shall maintain a permanent record identifying

the date and circumstances under which the Department acquired each

piece of abandoned or stolen property, the place where each piece of

property was found or located, and a detailed description of each

article of property. All abandoned or stolen property shall be

stored in a suitable place to protect it from deterioration;

provided, that if the property is perishable, it may be sold in a

manner to maximize value as set forth in subsection C below.

C. If the abandoned or stolen personal property is of a

perishable nature and reasonable attempts to locate and identify the

owner of the property are not successful, the property may be sold

at once without notice.

1. The Department shall use its best efforts to obtain the best

possible price for the perishable property.

2. The proceeds from the sale shall be held in a segregated

account for a period of six (6) months for the benefit of the

property's owner.

3. Subsequent to the sale, notice concerning the holding of

proceeds from the sale of the perishable property shall be published

once a week for two (2) successive weeks in a newspaper of general

circulation published in the city or town closest to the location

where the property was recovered and, in the case of cities and

towns in which no newspaper is published, by posting the notice in a

conspicuous place at the city hall or police station.

4. If the proceeds are not claimed within six (6) months, after

deducting and paying all expenses incurred in the recovery, storage,

maintenance, and sale of the property, the net funds shall be

deposited in the State Department of Agriculture Evidence and Law

Enforcement Fund.

D. Six (6) months after the Department comes into possession of

any other abandoned or stolen property, it may dispose of the

property by public or private auction.

1. Notice of the time and place of sale shall first be given by

publication of notice once a week for two (2) successive weeks in a

newspaper of general circulation published in the city or town in

question and, in the case of cities and towns in which no newspaper

is published, by posting notice in a conspicuous place at the city

hall or police station.

2. The first publication or posting of notice, as the case may

be, shall be at least twenty (20) days before the sale.

3. Each article shall be sold separately and a notation in the

permanent record shall be made of the amount received for each

article of property.

4. The person making the sale shall have the right to reject

any and all bids if the amount bid is unreasonably low and shall

have the right to continue the sales from time to time.

5. After deducting and paying all expenses incurred in the

taking up, storing, maintaining, and selling of the property, the

balance, if any, shall be deposited in the State Department of

Agriculture Evidence and Law Enforcement Fund.