My parents own a rental. We were cleaning out the back storage area and found a High Standard Sport-King .22. We know that none of the renters in the last 10 years or so owned it because the area that it was found in had not been gone through in a very long time. What do we do? Oh and we like it and guns.
Found a gun
- Thread starter okespe04
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i would say that since it was stored on property that you own for a period of at least 10 years. That is now your .22. If you leave your home and sell it and leave something behind it becomes the property of the new owner of that home. Since it has always been your property and was left behind by a previous occupant same thing in my eyes.
PRE 64 JOE
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- 86
Ahh RUMM AHH RUMM : To avoid bad KARMA send it to me. 
kirklandkie
Member
i'd see if you can run the serial number through the atf guys, if it's stolen they'll tell you. If it hasn't been reported missing or stolen i'd say, it's yours
congrats on your new toy
-kirk
congrats on your new toy
-kirk
I know you posted in Legal, and the Legal advice is to consult local law enforcement to determine if it is reported stolen, but...
..don't forget that it may have an owner, even deep down in history, who wants it. You have the list of former renters, one would believe that is a good place to start to seek its rightful owner.
Finders Keepers is OK for some stuff, but not a Sport King. Examine your own sense of right vs wrong.
..don't forget that it may have an owner, even deep down in history, who wants it. You have the list of former renters, one would believe that is a good place to start to seek its rightful owner.
Finders Keepers is OK for some stuff, but not a Sport King. Examine your own sense of right vs wrong.
Congratulations. Thats better than finding surprise money in an old pair of pants. There is no law I know of requiring you to do anything concerning a found firearm in rental property. If you wish to ease your mind I guess you can contact your local law enforcement and give them the serial number and a brief description of make/model and they can run a in-house/state/NCIC computer check on it to make sure it has not been reported stolen.
WardenWolf
member
It depends. For property, if no effort is made to recover it in a specific amount of time, it becomes the property of the possessor. For major items and real estate, this is typically 7 years. For other items, abandonment laws can take effect within 6 months.
WardenWolf
member
Then it's yours.
Smokin_Gun
Member
Congrads on the new .22 High Standard King...
Yeah right I'll call the ATF :O)
You can turn it in to the Sheriff's Dept. here in my town and get $200 for it with no names mentioned.
But I'd say it's yours.
Yeah right I'll call the ATF :O)
You can turn it in to the Sheriff's Dept. here in my town and get $200 for it with no names mentioned.
But I'd say it's yours.
jakk280rem
Member
i noticed that you are listed as living in oregon. look in your local phone book. in the blue pages under oregon state police, you will find a 800 number for the firearms division. give them a call and they will tell you if its stolen, lost or clean. like the previous posters said, if its clean its yours, if its lost or stolen, you may be able to have it picked up or deliver it to the osp to be returned to the owner.
Duke of Doubt
member
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Consult a local attorney re: lost personal property in your state, and guns in your local jurisdiction.
Finding guns is somewhat uncommon these days, but it certainly happens. Legally what happens next depends on your local jurisdiction. Finding a group of hunting rifles and a pistol in the Maine woods, and purchasing rights to remove any such property found in connection with a wreck on the owner's property, is one thing; finding a handgun in a NYC tenement would be quite another.
Finding guns is somewhat uncommon these days, but it certainly happens. Legally what happens next depends on your local jurisdiction. Finding a group of hunting rifles and a pistol in the Maine woods, and purchasing rights to remove any such property found in connection with a wreck on the owner's property, is one thing; finding a handgun in a NYC tenement would be quite another.
NavyLCDR
member
<Don't need silly snark>
Look at it this way...
It was left behind by either renters or owners of the house. Either way they were living there with the intent of making the place their home. That is the EXACT definition of a resident of a state for firearms transactions. Therefore, whoever left the article there over twenty years ago were residents of Oregon and you are residents of Oregon. Handgun or Long Gun, firearms transfers between residents of Oregon require no FFL, no paperwork, no background checks, nothing.... therefore, this would be a perfectly legal transfer between two residents of Oregon.
Look at it this way...
It was left behind by either renters or owners of the house. Either way they were living there with the intent of making the place their home. That is the EXACT definition of a resident of a state for firearms transactions. Therefore, whoever left the article there over twenty years ago were residents of Oregon and you are residents of Oregon. Handgun or Long Gun, firearms transfers between residents of Oregon require no FFL, no paperwork, no background checks, nothing.... therefore, this would be a perfectly legal transfer between two residents of Oregon.
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I would turn it in to the police. You have no way of knowing the gun's history--for all you know it's the key missing piece of evidence in an unsolved murder. If it's stolen, the rightful owner would probably like to have it back.
Tim
Tim
dirt_j00
Member
Could probably legally be considered yours (or your parents, whatever).
However, if it were me, I would have the local LE run a check on it. I think most folks who've had guns stolen from them would agree.
However, if it were me, I would have the local LE run a check on it. I think most folks who've had guns stolen from them would agree.
HonorsDaddy
Member
So THAT'S where I left it...
Just PM me for my address. I'll cover the UPS costs.
Just PM me for my address. I'll cover the UPS costs.
Master Blaster
Member
Abandoned property in a rental you own.
Its yours, you dont need to check with the police (who may decide they would like to have it), an attorney, or The Lord.
post a pic so we can drool over it.
Its yours, you dont need to check with the police (who may decide they would like to have it), an attorney, or The Lord.
post a pic so we can drool over it.
finnerandr
Member
I had a handgun stolen from me recently and if someone happened to find that gun I would want them to at least check with their local law enforcement to see if it was stolen or not. Might be the only way I will ever get it back. So please, have it checked for me and everyone else here that has ever had a gun stolen from them.
CoRoMo
Member
If it were me, a THR thread would never have been created with any mention of it whatsoever. And I'd be shooting it or cleaning it right now. But... that's just me. I'm not going to worry about the guy that didn't have the sense to keep up with his belongings, especially after 20+ years.
Like Navy said, it has been transferred into your possession, enjoy it.
Like Navy said, it has been transferred into your possession, enjoy it.
wyocarp
Member
You might always wonder if something will happen because of it. I too found a gun in a house of mine once. It was a house that I bought and I tried to track down the owner for a while and then gave up. But even though it has been 12 years or so, I still wonder about it.
deaconkharma
Member
+1 CoRoMo
Never, would I ask advice of others on something like this unless I was (A)looking for someone to make me feel better about a decision I made while being less than honest about all the details, or (B) I was wanting to rub it in on my buddies here, what good fortune I had at a finding of a "cherry" prize while feigning to be in some quandry as to what to do.
If you're truly that worried about it, get a cop buddy to run the number on NCIC. I got two I have run that way just to be safe due to a "too good to be true deal".
Never, would I ask advice of others on something like this unless I was (A)looking for someone to make me feel better about a decision I made while being less than honest about all the details, or (B) I was wanting to rub it in on my buddies here, what good fortune I had at a finding of a "cherry" prize while feigning to be in some quandry as to what to do.
If you're truly that worried about it, get a cop buddy to run the number on NCIC. I got two I have run that way just to be safe due to a "too good to be true deal".
dirt_j00
Member
Is there a statute of limitations on stolen property? (not sure if "statute of limitations" is the right legal phrase here)
Rephrased: if something was stolen from me 20 years ago (not abandoned/lost/forgotten), is that property still mine, regardless of whose possession the property is in?
Something to be considered.
Rephrased: if something was stolen from me 20 years ago (not abandoned/lost/forgotten), is that property still mine, regardless of whose possession the property is in?
Something to be considered.
007BondJamesBond007
Member
I would have the police run the serial # do not bring the gun to the police station. If it was stolen and used in a crime the leo might think he was involed in the crime. I would not want that legal hassle.
Dropyourweapon
Member
I don't know about the statute of limitations thing either but I have no reason to believe that it was stolen. Most likely it was not but who knows?
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