Whenever any personal property has heretofore been found in or deposited with, or is hereafter found in or deposited with any licensed hospital and has remained or shall remain unclaimed for a period of 180 days following the departure of the owner from the hospital, such hospital may proceed to sell the same at public auction, and out of the proceeds of such sale may retain the charges for storage, if any, the reasonable expenses of sale thereof and all sums due the hospital from the last known owner. No such sale shall be made until the expiration of four weeks from the time written notice of such sale is given to the last known owner. Said notice shall contain a description of each item of personal property to be sold, the name of the last owner, the name of the hospital and the time and place of sale and may be sent by regular mail, postage prepaid, to the last known owner at his last known address. In case there should be any balance from such sale after the deductions herein provided for, and such balance shall not be claimed by the rightful owner or his legal representative within one week of said sale, the same shall be paid into the treasury of the county wherein said hospital is located; and if the same be not claimed by the owner thereof, or his legal representative within one year thereafter, the same shall be paid into the general fund of said county. Proceedings in substantial compliance with this section shall exonerate the hospital from any liability for property so sold. This section shall not be construed as limiting or in any way amending any other provision of law limiting the liabilities of any licensed hospital.

(Added by Stats. 1963, Ch. 810.)