A resident of Arona in the south of Tenerife is appealing against the decision of the Provincial Court of Santa Cruz, which provisionally rejected his claim for compensation after he found a Rolex watch lying on a street that was valued at 35,000 euros and that, allegedly, has disappeared from the National Police lost property office.
The original find dates back to 2017 when the man found a Rolex watch in the middle of the street in Tenerife and handed it into the National Police who, in turn, deposited it in the official stolen objects office of the Arona Council, according to his lawyer, Antonio Padilla.
Under Spanish law, any item officially handed in and logged, becomes the property of the person who found it after two years. In this instance, the man went back to the lost property office, who confirmed that no one had claimed the Rolex, but they couldn’t find it.
Due to this, the man filed a first complaint that was dismissed, although it was later resumed when the Provincial Court considered that there was evidence of criminal activity.
However, this last instance was also rejected, because although the court admitted that criminal activity may have taken place, they considered it impossible to determine exactly who would be the author of the misappropriation.
Due to this, the lawyer, Antonio Padilla, filed two appeals, which are awaiting resolution. The lawyer has stated that there is a possibility that the complainant may make a claim against the Council because he believes that they have neglected their obligations.
When she testified in court, the head of the lost property office at the time, stated that many people passed through the office who could easily access the keys to the room used to store the most valuable objects and money.
The woman said that she perfectly remembered when the Rolex watch came into her department, and also that when she retired it was still listed in the inventory of deposited objects. She also assures that at that time the watch was inside a showcase, said the lawyer. The case continues.
