If you have found a valuable item (i.e. an item with a value of more than 10 euros), you must hand it in. Contact points are the lost and found offices of the local authorities. A lost property report is recorded there. The lost property, the place and time it was found and your personal details will be recorded, as you may later be entitled to a finder's fee or to the find itself if no owner can be found after the deadline has expired.

Storage and auction

The lost and found office is obliged to keep lost property for at least six months. If the owner does not come forward within this period, you as the finder are entitled to the item found. If you do not exercise this right or if the lost property is found in public buildings or on public transport, the city or municipality itself becomes the owner of the items.

These lost property items are then auctioned off publicly at longer intervals after prior announcement by the lost and found office. The proceeds from the auction go to the municipal budget.

Animals

Animals are also considered lost property. If you have found an animal, you should contact the relevant local authority and report the find there. In consultation with the municipality, you can also hand over the animal there if necessary. It will then usually be taken to an animal shelter for further care.

You can also hand in found animals directly to an animal shelter without reporting them. The lost property report will then be handled by the animal shelter, as the local authority is not obliged to bear the costs of accommodation without a report.