Originally Posted by
thumpism
The shop I was at had a policy for completed repairs not picked up. We documented three phone calls on the repair ticket, after which a registered letter was sent to the address on the ticket. No response after 30 days, the item was sold.
Yep, this is a typical procedure for an "unclaimed" bike. However, if the owner responds and say he wants the bike, except that the charges aren't reasonable, or agreed to it gets more complicated.
Disputed charge cases also have procedures, usually including arbitration or the amount due.