1.1                          A bill for an act  
  1.2             relating to cities; authorizing cities to conduct 
  1.3             private sales of unclaimed property through nonprofit 
  1.4             organizations; repealing archaic language; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 471.195; repealing 
  1.6             Laws 1919, chapter 396. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 471.195, is 
  1.9   amended to read: 
  1.10     471.195 [UNCLAIMED PROPERTY; DISPOSAL.] 
  1.11     (1) Any city may by ordinance provide for the custody and 
  1.12  disposal of property lawfully coming into its possession in the 
  1.13  course of municipal operations and remaining unclaimed by the 
  1.14  owner.  Such ordinance may provide for the sale of such property 
  1.15  to the highest bidder at public auction or sale following 
  1.16  reasonable published notice or by a private sale through a 
  1.17  nonprofit organization that has a significant mission of 
  1.18  community service, after the property has been in the possession 
  1.19  of the municipality for a period of at least 60 days.  If the 
  1.20  sale is to be by public auction, the city shall give ten days' 
  1.21  published notice describing the property found or recovered and 
  1.22  to be sold, and specifying the time and place of the sale.  The 
  1.23  notice must be published at least once in a legal newspaper 
  1.24  published in the city or if there is none in the city, published 
  1.25  in the county.  Consistent with other applicable statutory or 
  1.26  charter provision, the ordinance shall designate the fund into 
  2.1   which the proceeds of any such sale shall be placed, subject to 
  2.2   the right of the former owner to payment of the sale price from 
  2.3   the fund upon application and satisfactory proof of ownership 
  2.4   within six months of the sale or such longer period as provided 
  2.5   by ordinance.  
  2.6      (2) This section does not limit the power of any 
  2.7   municipality under any other statutory or charter authority.  
  2.8      Sec. 2.  [REPEALER.] 
  2.9      Laws 1919, chapter 396, is repealed.