In case anyone lost it, I handed it to the driver. They will bring it to the Fundburo. It had a white paper hotel luggage tag in it like the one the bell boy might use.
A reminder. 10% reward to anyone who hands in objects. This is the law, interesting enough. Except if found in an occupied building (private or public) or a "service’ such as a train bus tram etc… Example… If found on train etc you have to hand it in to staff . You get no reward. But if you find it in the street you do.
And in Liechtenstein if it’s unclaimed it becomes your after 5 years. Unsure on Switzerland… But bags of cash get found all the time so I am sure the answer is in the press.
P.s. is there a Facebook group or equivalent where people post what they found? I don’t expect travellers to use this forum. …
Happy days shoppers! Peace be with you.
Here is the actual provision:
Art. 722 Swiss Civil Code
1 A person who has discharged his or her duties as finder acquires ownership of the find if it has not been possible to trace the rightful owner within five years of the announcement or public notice being given of the find.
1bis In the case of animals kept as pets rather than for investment or commercial purposes, the period is two months.
1ter If the finder puts the animal in a home with the intention of renouncing its ownership, on expiry of the two-month period the animal home is at liberty to dispose of the animal as it sees fit.
2 If the find is returned to its owner, the finder is entitled to compensation for all outlays and to a suitable finder’s reward.
3 In the case of a find made in an occupied house or on premises used for public services or public transport, the head of the household, tenant or supervisor is deemed to be the finder but is not entitled to any finder’s reward. So no automatic 10% but merely a reasonable finders fee.
More information (in German, Deeple or Google translate is your friend): https://www.beobachter.ch/gesetze-re…ommt-man-12044
Some years ago,I found CHF 90 on a path, handed it in to the police. A couple years ago, the five had elapsed and the cops phoned me to come get my money!
Our cleaning lady found an almost brand new iPhone on the street between the bus stop and our house. Despite all efforts to locate the owner we couldn’t find them so we gave it to the Nyon police. After two years they called her to pick up the factory reset phone. Five years would have been much too long.
PS For this reason we have edited our lock screens to include our landline number.
I have always had my email on the lock screen and it worked, once got an email within the hour of leaving it on the train, which is much faster than waiting for it to get registered in a fundburo at the end of a shift.
In that instance I paid 10% of its value to the finder, a young man, even though technically i didnt need to and he should have handed it to railway staff. he did a good thing…
…and as for comments above, yes the law ( article 722 of the civil code ) is quoted correctly above) states a “reasonable” finders fee and doesn’t state 10%, that is indeed only a convention or guide. One can choose to give lower or higher reward, and one can also choose to not accept a reward. How delightlfuly freeing.
a clue tot he origin of the 10% is that Leichtenstein law states it mich be 10% - “Art. 69 Ordinance on the Law of Property
The finder’s fee is 10% of the value of the lost property.” and quoted by Easyfind here
Notably, *(back to Switzerlandnow) an upper limit of 50% finder’s fees IS SPECIFIED in articles 723 and 724 for items considered Treasure Trove and Objects of Scientific value, which is more like finding buried treasure etc. on other peoples land or public land. a different matter.
and… for people who wish to be further entertained by the minutae of Swiss laws and regulations, including
who is the rightful owner of bees that swarm and settle on their property?; and
what to do if valuables wash ashore or blow onto your land (?!)
This kind of detail exists because instead of general law and lots of case law, Switzerland has a civil law legal system. Therefore, enacted or written law is the primary source of law, which can lead to both interesting and sometimes comical reading
…the legisalation is in DE IT FR and translated into probably non-binding EN here:
It's not directly relevant, but its an incentive for people to act, and the more people do, then better, right?
I also mention it as its a convention people may not know of. This being a forum frequented by newcomins and people needing find out 'how stuff works here'.
So if you lose something and its returned, you now know the LAW is a finder's fee plus reasonable expenses must be paid (eg train fare to bring it), and CONVENTION is to provide around 10% of its worth, at your discretion.
In the absence of other motives, it would seem to be a reason people might would bring something to the correct place if there is a reward. and the reward is a proxy for "thanks" if you never meet the owner.
Althouigh altruism is its own reward; that feeling of having helped a traveller desperately hoping to find their heavy packpack in the rush before Christmas.
Despite this, the other people on the tram, whom I asked 'is this yours?' wanted nothing to do with it, and seemed inconvenienced by the question, and even declined to help me get the attention of the tram driver or to speak to him for me, even though they were in my way.
But they did smile when I lifted the backpack and with some lighthearted releif said "ah, at least it didnt explode"
I had understood (from rescue work) that as the finder of an animal, if after going through the reqUriel reporting steps I (as a private person) agree voluntarily to care for the animal - as opposed to handing the animal into the care of an official Tierheim - then I bear the costs.
(Finders unwilling to take on the cost have been advised to turn the animal over to a Tierheim or ask the police for advice.)
This usually arises when an injured animal is found - when I take the injured animl to the clinic I take on the veterinary costs, as I am the person entering into a contract with the vet.*
I had thought that because the (unknown) owner did not agree to the cost of veterinary care, he is not required to reimburse me for the cost treating his pet's injury.
(Some grateful owners offer to reimburse the costs, but you'd be surprised how many don't.)
Have I had this the wrong way around all these years?
* Obviously a finder may only undertake emergency medical treatment, when urgent care is needed to save the animal's life. Any elective treatment is not allowed, as the finder is not the owner of the animal, and thus does not have the authority to do so. The 60 day Frist must expire before the finder, or Tierheim, can become the owner and thus have the right to make elective medical decisions.
** Either way, many animal lovers are happy to help a found injured animal without thinking about costs. Most of us consider it a deposit in the Bank of Karma.