Ordinance allows police to now dispose of unclaimed property
HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years, 4 months AGO
DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES Heidi Desch is the Deputy Editor at the Daily Inter Lake, overseeing coverage of arts, culture, lifestyle, community, and business. Desch leads reporters in developing stories that highlight the people, traditions, and events shaping Northwest Montana, guiding content across print and digital platforms. With more than 20 years of journalism experience, including serving as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, Desch is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Journalism. She has received multiple Montana Newspaper Association awards, including part of the team leading the Daily Inter Lake to Best Daily Newspaper in Montana Award and the General Excellence Award in 2024 and 2025. IMPACT: Heidi’s work connects readers with stories that deepen the understanding of the community beyond daily news. | July 10, 2018 3:54 PM
Whitefish City Council recently approved an ordinance that allows the Police Department to dispose of unclaimed personal property.
City Attorney Angela Jacobs said law enforcement often receives personal property as evidence in criminal cases.
“Items are often stolen and no one claims them,” Jacobs said. “There is a large store of bicycles hanging around. If it has a value of more than $20, the police department will be able to sell or donate the item.”
The Montana League of Cities and Towns last year sponsored legislation creating a presumptive abandonment time period and establishing a process for the disposition of unclaimed personal property. The Legislature passed a law authorizing cities to adopt ordinances or resolutions providing for the care, restitution, sale, donation, return or destruction of unclaimed items.
Police will be able to dispose of all unclaimed personal property having a value of more than $20 after three months. Officers will attempt to notify owners of the unclaimed property by posting a list on its website four times a year.
ARTICLES BY HEIDI DESCH
Whitefish aims to finally bring affordable housing to downtown lot
Whitefish City Council on Monday will consider hiring a consultant to bring long-planned affordable housing to the parcel formerly known as the snow lot.
Grand views found on Glacier hike in an area with a haunted past
The hike to Loneman Lookout starts in flat terrain, wandering through the trees between U.S. 2 and the Middle Fork of the Flathead River and Nyack Creek before beginning a steady climb up roughly 3,800 feet, offering views to the valleys below and surrounding mountains.
Whitefish wildfire protection plan up for City Council review
Fourteen areas of concern that are primed for mitigating wildlife risk are at the center of a draft Whitefish Community Wildfire Protection Plan.