Found an item? Your responsibilities

What to do when you find someone else's property — your responsibilities and how to return it safely.

Found something in North Jersey? Handling it responsibly protects both you and the owner. Rules vary by location, but the principles are consistent.

Make a reasonable effort to find the owner. Check for ID, contact details, or anything that identifies who it belongs to.
Don't assume it's yours to keep. Keeping found property without trying to return it can have legal consequences. When in doubt, hand it in.
Hand valuables to the authorities. Report significant or high-value finds to the police non-emergency line for North Jersey; they'll log it and may issue a reference.
Store it safely. Keep the item secure and unchanged while you try to return it.
Post a found listing. Add a found-item listing for North Jersey with enough detail for the real owner to identify it — while holding back one verifying detail.

Helpful resources for North Jersey

Nextdoor
Reach neighbors to return a found item

Recent reports in North Jersey

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Found: Stamps near Paterson Great Falls

Hello, I’m Daniel Kim. This afternoon around 3:40 p.m., I found a small stack of stamps lying on the sidewalk near the overlook at the Paterson Great Falls. They’re in a weathered envelope, tucked into a little plastic bag, a mix of commemoratives from different countries. As a hobbyist, I know how personal a collection can be, and I figured someone must be missing them. I’m hoping this helps them find their way back to their owner, with care.

Paterson Great Falls overlook, North Jersey about 5 hours ago

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Memory cards found at Secaucus Junction

I found memory cards tucked in a weatherproof case near the Secaucus Junction concourse around 5:30 PM yesterday. The case is marked with the initials A.R., and one card still holds a few seaside photos. They seem important to whoever owns them, possibly for work or school, so I kept them secure and handed the case to the information desk at the station. I imagine the moment of realizing the cards were missing and the relief of finding them safe again. I hope the owner recognizes their contents and retrieves them soon.

near Secaucus Junction, by the main concourse 22 days ago

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Found travel visas near Journal Square PATH Station, Jersey City

Today, around 4:15 PM, I found a folder containing travel visas on a bench outside a cafe near Journal Square PATH Station in Jersey City. It looked official enough to give anyone pause, with a brown folder and a few passport-sized photos peeking out. I tucked it under my jacket to keep it safe while I scanned the area for anyone lingering nearby, but no one seemed to be looking for it. I know how important these papers are, and I would want the owner to have them returned quickly.

Journal Square PATH Station, Jersey City about 1 month ago

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Found these postcards near Montclair Public Library.

Hey there, I’m Alex Rivera. I found these postcards this afternoon while wandering past the Montclair Public Library on South Park Street, around 3:20 p.m. today. They’re a little worn, with stamps from trips years ago, and a neat photo tucked between a couple of cards. It felt like stumbling into someone else’s family memories, and I couldn’t just walk off with them. I kept them in my tote for now, hoping the owner sees this and recognizes their own keepsakes. They’re a tiny time capsule, and I’d love to help reunite them with the owner.

outside the Montclair Public Library, South Park Street entrance about 2 months ago

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Found sheet music near Grove Street PATH station

I found a weathered folder with sheet music on a bench by the Grove Street PATH entrance in Jersey City around 4:15 p.m. last Tuesday. The pages were a little damp from the drizzle, but the notes were readable and clean. I opened the folder and saw a few markings that suggested it belonged to a student, but there was no name. If these belong to someone, I hope they are reunited with the musician who left them behind.

by the Grove Street PATH entrance about 2 months ago

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Blue plush unicorn with rainbow mane found near Paramus

I found a blue plush unicorn, about 12 inches tall, in the parking lot behind the Target at Garden State Plaza in Paramus this afternoon around 2:15pm. It has a rainbow mane, a white horn, and a pink star on its flank. The fabric is soft but there's a tiny snag on the left ear and a faint outline of a name tag on the back. It clearly belongs to a kid—I'm sure someone is missing it. If this is yours, reply here and we can arrange a meetup in the mall parking lot.

North Jersey 2 months ago