Disposition of Property Found on City Streets.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 105-123
in effect105-123. Disposition of Property Found on City Streets.
1. RECEIPT ISSUED. If any person shall find any money or property and if the owner thereof be unknown, such person shall within 5 days after finding such money or property deliver the same to the chief of police. The chief of police may for the purpose of this section designate members of his department to perform the duties herein referred to. The chief of police, upon receipt of such found money, shall within 60 days separate such money from its container, if there be one, and deposit such found money with the city treasurer for safekeeping; provided, however, that the chief of police may, in his discretion, hold such money without depositing the same with the city treasurer. A copy of such deposit memorandum by the chief of police shall be forwarded to the city comptroller. All property except money delivered to the chief of police pursuant to the terms of this section shall be disposed of pursuant to ss. 105-122 and 310-29.
2. SPECIAL TRUST FUND. a. The city treasurer shall immediately, upon receipt of such found money, deposit such found money in a trust account to be known as the police department trust fund; and he shall not disburse such money to any person or persons unless he shall first have received from the chief of police a payment certification approved by the city comptroller stating the amount to be disbursed and that either the payee on such payment certification is the lawful owner of such money, or that the payee is the finder of such money; and, in the latter case, the payment certificate shall also state that such money was delivered to the police department at least 6 months prior to the date of such payment certification.
b. If such found money is not claimed within one year of the date of delivery to the police department, said money shall be deposited in the city general fund and be credited to miscellaneous general revenue.
3. RETURN TO OWNER, ETC. The chief of police or persons designated by him, upon receipt of found money or property, shall investigate and attempt to ascertain the true owner thereof. The chief of police shall issue a receipt to the finder which shall, in the case of money, show the amount and denomination and contain a description of the container in which such money was found; and in the case of other property, the receipt shall describe the property. If the chief of police shall discover the owner of such money, he shall issue a payment certification to such owner which shall meet the requirement of sub. 2. In the case of other property, the chief of police may turn such property over to the true owner. If the chief of police shall ascertain the true owner, but find it impossible to locate and notify said true owner or fail to receive response from said true owner, he shall, upon request, issue payment certification to the finder thereof which shall also comply with the provisions of sub. 2 with the exception of the provision which relates to the finder's 6 month's waiting period. In case of a known true owner, the finder's waiting period shall be 12 months. If the true owner cannot be ascertained after an investigation by the chief of police, he shall upon request issue a payment certification to the finder thereof which shall also comply with the provisions of sub. 2. If the chief of police cannot after an investigation determine who is entitled to the money or the property, he shall withhold the issuance of a payment certification until such time as he is directed by written order from a judge or a court of record directing him to issue such payment certification or directing him to turn over such property.
4. PENALTY. If any person shall find money or property and shall fail to deliver up such money or property within 5 days to the chief of police, or otherwise fail to comply with the provisions of this section, such person shall be guilty of a violation of this section and shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not to exceed $5 or upon default of the payment thereof be imprisoned in the house of correction not to exceed 10 days.
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/Volume-1/CH105.pdf#page=33Fetched: 10/26/2026