Purpose 

The purpose of this policy is to define procedures for the receipt and disposition of lost or abandoned property at all campus sites.   

LOST AND FOUND PROPERTY: 

A. Lost and Found property that is not related to a criminal offense shall be managed by designated staff of the Basler Library on the Blountville campus. Lost and Found property not related to a criminal offense shall be managed by the site director/designee at the following College sites:

• Johnson City Campus
• Elizabethton Campus
• Kingsport Campus (KCHE Building)
• Gray Campus

Students, faculty, and/or staff seeking to deposit/retrieve a lost/found item at any of these locations shall contact the Library or site director/designee. 

All Lost and Found property will be dealt with according to Northeast State Policies and Procedures and the Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed (Personal) Property Act (T.C.A. Title 66 – Chapter 29). 

B. Whenever property is found or turned in, the Library staff member or site director/designee will attach a note with the appropriate information to the item(s) or enter the appropriate information into a lost and found log. The Library staff member or site director/designee will then attempt to determine and contact the owner.

C. Only the following property will be accepted: Cell phones, laptops/tablets, flash drives, mp3 players, wallets/purses, glasses, backpacks, keys, jewelry, money/credit or debit cards, outerwear (coats, jackets, etc.), textbooks, and items having ownership information.

D. The following items will not be accepted: Clothing, perishable items, small recreational items, personal grooming items, intentionally abandoned items, office supplies, loose paper/printouts, eating/drinking utensils, and any item that would constitute a health or safety risk. These items will be considered trash and disposed of appropriately. 

E. When returning Lost and Found property to its owner, the Library staff member or site director/designee will make reasonable attempts to verify the person’s ownership of the property and their identity. If the items were entered into the lost and found log, the log will reflect the items returned.

F. Unclaimed Property 

All Lost and Found property will be held a maximum of one semester. Any items added in the last calendar month of the semester will be held through the following semester. At the end of each semester, the Library staff member or director/designee will dispose of all unclaimed item(s). If appropriate, items disposed of will be reflected in the lost and found log.

G. Northeast State Community College does not assume responsibility for property lost or abandoned on Northeast State Community College owned, controlled, or leased property.