Found someone’s wallet, phone or bag? Do everything in your power to get in touch with the owner. If you succeed – you can count on a finder’s fee or even a reward. Find out what someone who finds another person’s property is entitled to.
A found wallet, phone or set of keys is a big responsibility. To avoid being accused of theft or misappropriation of property, you need to take decisive action.
I’ve found someone’s wallet/phone/keys – what should I do?
- If the wallet contains documents with the owner’s details, try to get in touch with that person. Even if you’ve managed to track the owner down on Facebook, remember to be as careful as possible. Before arranging to hand over the lost item, ask for their parents’ first names and check whether the item could have been lost by that person in the place where you found it – just in case.
- If you couldn’t find the owner online, send the found item by post.
- When there’s no way of tracking down the owner, hand the found item in to the Lost Property Office or the district authority (starosta). If the item is a weapon, explosives or anything similar, refer the matter to the police.
- Items found on someone else’s premises (e.g. a café, library or cinema) should be handed over to the owner or staff of the venue.
You have 2 weeks to notify the appropriate people that you’ve found a lost item, or to start searching for the owner (this applies to animals too!).
I’ve found the owner – can I count on a finder’s fee?
Yes! Under Polish law you can claim 10% of the value of the found item. You must make this request to the owner no later than the day the item is collected.
Furthermore, if storing the found item or searching for the owner involved any costs, under Article 9 of the Polish Act on Found Property you can charge the owner for the amount you spent.
I’ve found money – can I keep it?
The saying “finders keepers” holds true for amounts up to PLN 100. If you’ve found more money than that, you’re obliged to return it. Otherwise you risk a fine – for an item worth up to PLN 500 – or even imprisonment (up to 3 years) if the item is worth more. Struggling to identify the owner of the cash? Report the find to the district authority (starosta).
Note: the same applies to found animals!
The stray you took in to look after might just be a pedigree dog or cat worth a lot of money. If you don’t take the appropriate steps to find its owner, despite your best intentions you could be accused of misappropriation or theft.
A reward for finding
If you’re exceptionally lucky and a historical artefact or an item belonging to the State Treasury ends up in your hands, you can count on a reward. It may be money (up to 3 times the national average salary), but you might have to settle for a certificate.
When does a found item become my property?
If you’ve done everything in your power to get in touch with the owner of the lost item, but they still haven’t contacted you, the item is yours after:
- one year from the request to collect it
or
- 2 years from finding the item.
If you’ve found keys, a wallet or a bag with a small notiOne tracker (pictured above), before handing it in to the Lost Property Office or venue staff, install the free notiOne app (iOS / Android) and create an account. That way the owner will see where they left their lost item. Thanks to you, they’ll find it faster and without stress.
