the date of first publication a claim for said property.

(4) A complete mailing address is to be provided as a point of contact within the bureau for any person to obtain additional information concerning the property or the procedures involved in filing a claim.

Notice must be published once a week for at least three successive weeks. Sound judgment and discretion must be used in selecting the publication medium. Advertisements should be placed in a publication of general circulation within the judicial district where the property was found.

(d) Property, as described in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, shall be held for a period of 30 days from the date of the first publication of notice. Upon the expiration of this 30-day period, title to such property vests in the United States, except that title reverts to the owner where a proper claim is filed within three years from the date of vesting of title in the United States, but if the property has been in official use, transferred for official use, or sold at the time the proper claim is approved, title shall not revert back to the former owner. The former owner shall instead obtain reimbursement in accordance with 41 CFR 101-48.102-4 or 101-48.305-1.

(e) If the owner of such property is unknown and the estimated value of the property is $100 or less, no notice is required, and the property shall be held for a period of 30 days from the date of finding the property. Upon expiration of this 30-day period, title to such property vests in the United States.

§ 128-48.102-4 Proceeds.

(a) Records of abandoned or other unclaimed property will be maintained in such a manner as to permit identification of the property with the original owner, if known, when such property is put into official use or transferred for official use by the finding bureau. Records will be maintained until the three-year period for filing claims has elapsed to enable the bureau to determine the amount of reimbursement due to a former owner who has filed a proper claim for abandoned or other unclaimed property.

(a) Upon receipt of a claim, an investigation shall be conducted to determine the merits of the claim, and the investigation's report shall be submitted to the determining official.

(b) The determining official shall be designated by the head of a bureau.

(c) Upon receipt of a claim and the report thereon by the determining official, he shall make a ruling based upon the claim and the investigation's report.

(d) Notice of the granting or denial of a claim for abandoned or other unclaimed property shall be mailed to the claimant or his attorney. If the claim is granted, the conditions of relief and the procedures to be followed to obtain the relief shall be set forth. If the claim is denied, the claimant shall be advised of the reason for such denial.

(e) A request for reconsideration of the claim may be submitted within 10 days from the date of the letter denying the claim. Such request shall be addressed to the head of the bureau and shall be based on evidence recently developed or not previously considered.

§ 128-48.503 General procedures.

(a) Claims shall be sworn and shall include the following information in clear and concise terms:

(1) A complete description of the property including serial numbers, if any.

(2) The interest of the claimant in the property, as owner, mortgagee, or otherwise, to be supported by bills of sale, contracts, mortgages, or other satisfactory documentary evidence.

(3) The facts and circumstances, to be established by satisfactory proof, relied upon by the claimant to justify the granting of the claim.

(b) If the claim is filed before title has vested in the United States, the determining official shall not grant the claim for the abandoned or other unclaimed property unless the claimant establishes a valid, good faith interest in the property.

(c) If the claim is filed after title has vested in the United States, the determining official shall not grant the claim for abandoned or other unclaimed property unless the claimant:

(1) Establishes that he would have a valid, good faith interest in the property had not title vested in the United States; and

(2) Establishes that he had no actual or constructive notice, prior to the vesting of title in the United States, that the property was in the custody of a bureau and that title, after the appropriate time period, would vest in the United States. A claimant shall be presumed to have constructive notice upon publication in a suitable medium concerning the property unless he was in such circumstances as to prevent him from knowing of the status of the property or having the opportunity to see the notice.

§ 128-50.001 Definitions.

§ 128-50.001-1 Seized personal property.

Personal property for which the Government does not have title but which the Government has obtained custody or control of in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 1177; 18 U.S.C. 924(d), 1955(d), 2513, 3611, 3612, 3615; 19 U.S.C. 1595a; 21 U.S.C. 881; 22 U.S.C. 401; Fed. R. Crim. P. 41(b); 28 CFR 0.86, 0.89, 0.111(j), 3.5, 3.6, 8.1, 8.2, 9a.1, 9a.2; or other statutory authority.

Subpart 128-50.1-Storage and Care of Seized Personal Property

§ 128-50.100 Storage and care.

(a) Each bureau shall be responsible for providing that its seized personal property storage facilities meet the safeguarding standards applicable to the type of property being stored.

(b) Each bureau shall be responsible for performing care on its seized personal property to prevent the unnecessary deterioration of such property. In particular, a bureau preparing a seized vehicle for storage should be at a minimum;

(1) Protect the cooling system from freezing;

(2) Protect the battery by assuring it is properly watered;

(3) Protect the tires by inflating to correct pressure;

(4) Remove all articles found in the vehicle's interior (for example, easily removable radios, tape players, and speakers) and all exterior accessories (for example, wheel covers) that are subject to pilferage and properly store them; and

(5) Shut all windows and lock all doors and compartments that have locks.

§ 128-50.101 Inventory records.

Each bureau shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining inventory records of its seized personal property to ensure that:

(a) The date the property was seized is recorded;

(b) All of the property associated with a case is recorded together under the case name and number;

(c) The location of storage of the property is recorded;

(d) A well documented chain of custody is kept; and

(e) All information in the inventory records is accurate and current.

§ 128-50.102 Periodic reviews.

Each bureau shall be responsible for performing an independent accountability review at least once a year to ensure compliance with this subpart and with the bureau's procedures for the handling, storage, and disposal of its seized personal property. In particular, a bureau conducting a review shall verify that the inventory records are accurate, current, and are being kept in accordance with established inventory procedures.

§ 128-50.103 Investigation of any discrepancy.

(a) Upon discovery of any discrepancy between the inventory records and the bureau's actual amount of seized personal property, a board of survey shall conduct an investigation in accordance with 41 CFR 128-51.1.

(b) If the discrepancy cannot be eliminated and involves a shortage, the bureau shall notify the U.S. attorney in charge of the litigation involving the missing property of the shortage as soon as possible.

(c) If the discrepancy cannot be eliminated and involves an overage, the bureau shall determine if the property has any evidentiary value. If the property does have evidentiary value, the property shall be properly stored and inventoried. If the property does not have any evidentiary value, the bureau shall determine whether the property is forfeitable to the United States, voluntarily abandoned, or abandoned. Proper proceedings shall be commenced as soon as possible to vest title of the forfeitable property in the United States. The voluntarily abandoned and abandoned property shall be kept in custody in accordance with 41 CFR 101-48 and any applicable Justice property management regulations. CHAPTERS 129–200 [RESERVED]