(a) Whenever a person confined in a state institution subject to the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Facilities, escapes, or is discharged or paroled from the institution, and any personal funds or property of that person remains in the hands of the Director of the Division of Juvenile Justice in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and no demand is made upon the director by the owner of the funds or property or his or her legally appointed representative, all money and other intangible personal property of that person, other than deeds, contracts, or assignments, remaining in the custody or possession of the director shall be held by him or her for a period of three years from the date of that escape, discharge, or parole, for the benefit of the person or his or her successors in interest. However, unclaimed personal funds or property of paroled minors may be exempted from the provisions of this section during the period of their minority and for a period of one year thereafter, at the discretion of the director.

(b) Upon the expiration of this three-year period, any money and other intangible personal property, other than deeds, contracts or assignments, remaining unclaimed in the custody or possession of the director shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 1500) of Title 10 of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(c) Upon the expiration of one year from the date of the escape, discharge, or parole:

(1) All deeds, contracts, or assignments shall be filed by the director with the public administrator of the county of commitment of that person.

(2) All tangible personal property other than money, remaining unclaimed in his or her custody or possession, shall be sold by the director at public auction, or upon a sealed-bid basis, and the proceeds of the sale shall be held by him or her subject to the provisions of Section 1752.8 of this code, and subject to the provisions of Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 1500) of Title 10 of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure. If he or she deems it expedient to do so, the director may accumulate the property of several inmates and may sell the property in lots as he or she may determine, provided that he or she makes a determination as to each inmate’s share of the proceeds.

(d) If any tangible personal property covered by this section is not salable at public auction or upon a sealed-bid basis, or if it has no intrinsic value, or if its value is not sufficient to justify its retention by the director to be offered for sale at public auction or upon a sealed-bid basis at a later date, the director may order it destroyed.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 41, Sec. 90. (SB 1021) Effective June 27, 2012.)