Pedal bike apparently abandoned - can I have it?

[blugnu]

Near where I work there is a pedal cycle leaning against a bike rack, with no lock on it. It's been there all week. It's quite a student-y area, so it's possible/probable it's been abandoned.

It's not especially valuable, in fact it's not valuable at all - it's a low spec early 90's mountain bike - but it'd be an ideal bike for me to commute on as it's got fatter tyres than my road bike and the roads around here are shocking.

At some point, being a bike unlocked in a bit city, it will be taken - probably by scrap metal dealers or someone who will sell it at a car boot - but I'd quite like to take it home, clean it up and use it.

What is the legality of doing so?

I did think I could zip tie a sign to the bike rack saying I took it because it was unsecured, and if the owner wants it back (and can describe it well enough for me to think they are the owner I suppose?) then they should call/email.

Thoughts please.

[Pixelpeep]

blugnu said:

Near where I work there is a pedal cycle leaning against a bike rack, with no lock on it. It's been there all week. It's quite a student-y area, so it's possible/probable it's been abandoned.

It's not especially valuable, in fact it's not valuable at all - it's a low spec early 90's mountain bike - but it'd be an ideal bike for me to commute on as it's got fatter tyres than my road bike and the roads around here are shocking.

At some point, being a bike unlocked in a bit city, it will be taken - probably by scrap metal dealers or someone who will sell it at a car boot - but I'd quite like to take it home, clean it up and use it.

What is the legality of doing so?

I did think I could zip tie a sign to the bike rack saying I took it because it was unsecured, and if the owner wants it back (and can describe it well enough for me to think they are the owner I suppose?) then they should call/email.

Thoughts please.

Take it to a police station, hand it in.

if no one claims it within xxx days, go back and collect, legally.

[simon1987]

Just take it finders keepers.

Only a total jobsworth muppet would try and do you for theft by finding

[STW2010]

I'd say leave it. If someone else is going to take it, then that's up to them- it's theft no matter how you look at it (imo).

[Wacky Racer]

Pixelpeep said:

blugnu said:

Near where I work there is a pedal cycle leaning against a bike rack, with no lock on it. It's been there all week. It's quite a student-y area, so it's possible/probable it's been abandoned.

It's not especially valuable, in fact it's not valuable at all - it's a low spec early 90's mountain bike - but it'd be an ideal bike for me to commute on as it's got fatter tyres than my road bike and the roads around here are shocking.

At some point, being a bike unlocked in a bit city, it will be taken - probably by scrap metal dealers or someone who will sell it at a car boot - but I'd quite like to take it home, clean it up and use it.

What is the legality of doing so?

I did think I could zip tie a sign to the bike rack saying I took it because it was unsecured, and if the owner wants it back (and can describe it well enough for me to think they are the owner I suppose?) then they should call/email.

Thoughts please.

Take it to a police station, hand it in.

if no one claims it within xxx days, go back and collect, legally.

This^

[blugnu]

Pixelpeep said:

Take it to a police station, hand it in.

if no one claims it within xxx days, go back and collect, legally.

Good advice - thanks. Do we still have police stations?

[Zod]

A hipster's fixie bike with reasonably decent fittings has been locked ot our railings since Christmas Eve. I'm going to remove the lock and take possession any time soon.

[Pixelpeep]

blugnu said:

Pixelpeep said:

Take it to a police station, hand it in.

if no one claims it within xxx days, go back and collect, legally.

Good advice - thanks. Do we still have police stations?

you should have really googled this yourself!

HTH

[blugnu]

Pixelpeep said:

you should have really googled this yourself!

HTH

I was being all political, like, about the cuts and that

(but thanks for googling for me)

[Pixelpeep]

blugnu said:

Pixelpeep said:

you should have really googled this yourself!

HTH

I was being all political, like, about the cuts and that

(but thanks for googling for me)

Sorry, im a bit touchy today. Think i have my monthlies

[rohrl]

If it isn't yours why would you imagine that it would be okay to take possession of it?

Buy your own bike.

[XCP]

Found property at police station. If not claimed within 6 weeks it is yours. My father did this with a bike someone dumped in his front garden.

[blugnu]

rohrl said:

If it isn't yours why would you imagine that it would be okay to take possession of it?

Buy your own bike.

Someone is going to take possesion of it sooner or later aren't they?

I think it'd be better used as a bike, rather than melted down for scrap, don't you?

(and in case you missed my opening post, I was asking if it is ok to take it - and I've received advice that I should take it to the police in order to ascertain ownership. As I've said, it's been unlocked and in the same place since at least Monday lunchtime, so it is becoming my assumption that whomsover left it there has no intention of coming back for it. Of course it may have been stolen from somewhere else, so by taking it to the police I may help return it to it's rightful owner who may not be the same person who has left it in it's current location)

[XCP]

OP, police auctions are a good place to look for cheap bikes. But you can't go wrong reporting it as found property. They may even tell you to hang on to it, and they will let you know if an owner comes forward.

[Martin_M]

simon1987 said:

Just take it finders keepers.

Only a total jobsworth muppet would try and do you for theft by finding

You might think but then again, the bike may be stolen. I remember when I was a special we arrested two boys who found a widescreen tv on the street. Turns out they did find it but it was stolen...and they were charged with theft by finding.

[Pooh]

Hand it in to the police. I found a Kona Kikapu mountain bike lying in the middle of the road near my hose, it had obviously fallen off somebodies bike rack so I handed it in to the police and got it back a few months later, it is best to be honest.

[Who me ?]

blugnu said:

Good advice - thanks. Do we still have police stations?

Locally ,the problem has been sorted. You can't access the Police public park ,or park anywhere close by ,unless you use a council car park and pay . And after certain hours it's shut.

[blugnu]

Thanks for all the advice. I've called the police, they've logged it on the computer and told me to take it. They have my phone number and address and a description of the bike and where I found it - if no-one claims it in two weeks, I've got myself a rusty, 25 year old, cheap-at-the-time mountain bike with biopace chainrings, seized brakes and a loose headset - for nothing!

As you can imagine, the OH is delighted.

[northwest monkey]

XCP said:

OP, police auctions are a good place to look for cheap bikes.

One of the auctions I go to disposes of stuff for GMP.

The expensive bikes get auctioned off individually but something like the OP is describing would get sold in with 10 similar bikes. Tend to sell for around £100 for 10 bikes. Popular with people wanting to tart them up a bit and sell for £30-£40 on Gumtree.

[Paulm4]

Biopace, now there's a name from the past! I seem to remember they turned out to be bad for your knees. Maybe not, off to Google....