FatGuyBiking

So I was riding along and stopped at a spot where the creek goes under the road. On each side there is a 3 ft high white cement wall.

I was hanging out on the wall filming the creek, when I pitched my camera down JUST enough and right under the bridge is a Trek (couldn't see what kind) sitting in the water.

It looked like it's only been there a couple days, so I could only surmise that someone stole this bike and threw it in the creek.

Here's the interesting part.

I went to my LBS that only sells Trek (90% sure the bike came from here. )
I asked if there was any reported stolen bikes, he said no. I told him it was a trek and that it was still pretty new. He didn't ask for my phone number / contact info. Honestly, I don't think he cared at all.

So my next stop was the police station
After talking to the cop and telling him the story, he said he'd go check it out.

LONG STORY LONGER

The bike is still there today....

I'm gonna fish it out, but I'm concerned about finding it's owner. Unfortunately I don't have the time to print out flyers and post them around town. I'm not trying to get a freebie here, but I also don't want it rusting in the creek.

Any advice?

bhchdh 

post the find on craigslist

FatGuyBiking

Yeah, I plan on putting it up on Caigslist.

So sad to see a soggy bike!

2manybikes

Get it out of the water. If it is salt water, it may be too late already. If it is salt water submerge it in fresh water if you can. In my state if one puts an ad in the local paper for a while (I think it's 30 days, not sure) and no one claims it, it's yours. Ask the poice if they know the law or look it up on line. NY may be different than my state.

goagain

I just bought a Trek and registered it with Trek, using the serial #. Perhaps if you contact Trek, explain the situation, and include the serial # of the bike, they might contact the owner for you, assuming the owner bothered to register it. That seems to be your best bet.

If that doesn't work and the police still don't have a theft report on it (strange), the only other thing I can think of is to post a short notice in the local paper, or one sign somewhere in the area, that you found an abandoned bike, but don't describe the bike at all so you can verify that it is indeed the owner trying to claim it. That seems iffy but would be worth a try. Then I'd say you've tried your best.

NYgreyrider

The simple and short version:
In NY if you find property valued in excess of $20 you have ten days to return it to the rightful owner or the police. After a certain time period, determined by the value of the property (most cases the police will hold it for six months), if the property is not claimed by the owner you will have the choice to take ownership of it.

For the full law google:
New York Personal Property - Article 7-B Lost and Found Property

UberGeek

Yeah, what NYgreyrider said.

Turn it over to the police, get a receipt, and post the ad on CL for "Found bike". In whatever the time, you have a bike to go pick up for yourself.

bigbadwullf

I can't believe the shop owner nor the police were interested at all. What has this world come to?

Jimi77

Not surprising at all.

See: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-is-pathetic.?

FatGuyBiking

Yeah I thought the shop owner would at least take my number or something.

It kind of bums me out that if I were ever in the position of losing my bike I'd get the same treatment.

Guillotine007

I can't wait to see pictures of the bike

Nightshade

Run a classified ad in your local paper to try to find the owner. If, after 30 days, there is no response the bike is yours as abandoned property.

bobn

Why would the shop owner care? He wants to sell a new bike. I'm not saying it's the right attitude, but it's his attitude not to get involved.
You don't want to be accused of having stolen property, but if you do the police thing that bike could be a rusted piece of junk in 6 mos. It needs attention now.
It's a dilemma for sure.

KD5NRH

It's been in the water for days now; any bike owner who cares would want all the bearings cleaned/repacked or replaced, and if it was dropped in the creek from any height, it'll need the wheels re-trued. New computer, grips or bar tape, etc. Basically a full tune-up and then some worth of sales for the shop.

xrayzebra 

Finders, keepers. No really, to the police with it.

I've noticed a series of CL ads lately, in two cities, with similar stories, purporting to be trying to return a stolen bikes that the poster BOUGHT, thinking that it might be stolen. OP offers to sell the bike to the rightful owner for what he paid. Wonder what the scam is there?

2manybikes

If it's still in the water don't bother. Cheaper to buy a new bike. The shop owner knows the price of repair will not be worth it. The customer would not like the estimate. That just leaves the customer unhappy with the shop.

Radials983

...and you're positive the owner isn't laying somewhere near the bike?

CB HI

Seems that is a question that the police should have shown an interest in checking out, rather than putting it on the OP.