Title 40 — Public Buildings, Property, and WorksRelease 119-73not60
§552 Abandoned or Unclaimed Property on Government Premises
Title 40 › Subtitle SUBTITLE I— FEDERAL PROPERTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES › Chapter 5— PROPERTY MANAGEMENT › Subchapter III— DISPOSING OF PROPERTY › § 552
Summary
The GSA Administrator may take abandoned or unclaimed items found on Federal property, decide when the Government owns them, and use or transfer them. If a former owner files a claim within three years, they get the proceeds minus care and handling costs, or, if the item was used or transferred, its fair value at the time ownership vested minus those costs.
Full Legal Text
Title 40, §552
Public Buildings, Property, and Works — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Administrator of General Services may take possession of abandoned or unclaimed property on premises owned or leased by the Federal Government and determine when title to the property vests in the Government. The Administrator may use, transfer, or otherwise dispose of the property.
(b)If a former owner files a proper claim within three years from the date that title to the property vests in the Government, the former owner shall be paid an amount—
(1)equal to the proceeds realized from the disposition of the property less costs incident to care and handling as determined by the Administrator; or
(2)if the property has been used or transferred, equal to the fair value of the property as of the time title vested in the Government less costs incident to care and handling as determined by the Administrator.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 55240:484(m).June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title II, § 203(m), formerly § 203(l), 63 Stat. 388; redesignated § 203(m), Aug. 1, 1955, ch. 442, 69 Stat. 430.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–284 substituted “(a) Authority To Take Property.—The Administrator” for “(a) Authority To Take Property Administrator”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
40 U.S.C. § 552
Title 40 — Public Buildings, Property, and Works
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60