Lost and Found Items in the Municipal Area; Reports of Found and Lost Items

Report a Found Item – Information for Finders

Anyone who finds a valuable item worth more than 10 euros is required to report the find immediately.

The lost and found office of the municipality where the item was found, or any police station, is generally responsible for receiving reports of found property.

Upon receiving the report of a found item, the circumstances relevant to identifying the rightful owner must be officially determined and recorded in writing, in particular

• the date of the report,
• the time and place of the discovery,
• the nature of the lost property,
• the finder’s name and address,
• whether the item is being held by the finder or has been turned in to the lost and found office,
• whether the finder waives his or her rights under the law governing found property (Sections 971 through 975 of the Civil Code).

The finder is entitled to a finder’s fee. Pursuant to Section 971 of the Civil Code, this fee amounts to 5% of the item’s value for items valued at up to 500 euros, plus an additional 3% of any appreciation in value.

 Upon the expiration of six months after the lost property was reported to the competent authority, the finder generally acquires ownership of the item, unless the finder has previously become aware of a person entitled to receive it or that person has registered their claim with the competent authority.   After the deadline has passed, the finder will be notified that the lost property can be picked up (subject to a storage or processing fee, if applicable). However, the finder must expect the former owner to assert a claim for unjust enrichment for a further three years. Official documents may not be transferred to the finder’s ownership.

Note: All items found on the (S-)Bahn or at a train station must be turned in to Deutsche Bahn.

Lost and Found Inquiry – Information for Those Who Have Lost Items   

If a lost item can be traced back to its owner, the owner will be notified in writing (e.g., for identification documents, debit cards).

The lost and found office provides information about lost items through regular announcements (e.g., bulletin boards, municipal newsletters) or on the municipality’s website. A list of lost items is published there at regular intervals.

In some municipalities, you can also submit an inquiry or report a loss. To ensure your lost item can be identified beyond a doubt, describe it as precisely as possible in your lost and found inquiry and specify the circumstances of the loss (date, location).

Lost items turned in to the municipality’s lost and found office are held for pickup for six months. If the owner does not come forward, the finder generally acquires ownership of the lost item. If the finder has waived their right to ownership after the retention period has expired, the lost item will be auctioned off or donated to charity.

Note: All items lost on the (S-)Bahn or at a train station are held by Deutsche Bahn.

Contrary to what is described in the fourth-to-last paragraph, the City of Erlangen’s Lost and Found Office does not publish a list of lost items on the City of Erlangen’s website. If you have lost an item, please contact the Lost and Found Office to inquire about any possible found items.