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 Central Michigan? 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 Central Michigan; 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 Central Michigan with enough detail for the real owner to identify it — while holding back one verifying detail.

Helpful resources for Central Michigan

Nextdoor
Reach neighbors to return a found item

Recent reports in Central Michigan

found D

Found: Radios by CMU campus, Mount Pleasant

I FOUND a small gray backpack with two radios peeking out outside the CMU bookstore on the Mount Pleasant campus around 3:45 p.m. Saturday. The radios look well used, with a dented battery pack and a stubborn power cord snaking from the pocket. I moved them to a bench near the campus library to keep them safe and posted this listing in case the owner sees it here. I know how important a reliable radio can be for someone on campus, and I hope this helps.

near CMU campus bookstore, Mount Pleasant 9 days ago

found A

Keys with blue lanyard and turtle charm

I found a set of keys this morning around 8:15am in the parking lot behind the CMU Student Activity Center on Main Street in Mount Pleasant. They’re on a blue university lanyard with a tiny turtle charm and a brass tag engraved with 'MP'. There’s a red silicone key cover on one of the keys, and a somewhat battered house key that sticks a little when turning. I figured someone might be missing them after a class or a club meeting. If you recognize these, I’m happy to meet near the Student Union to return them and get them straightened out.

Central Michigan 3 months ago

found A

Black compact umbrella with CMU sticker

I found a black compact umbrella this afternoon around 3:45pm in the Meijer parking lot on Mission Street in Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan. It's a RainSafe umbrella, about 10 inches long when folded, with a matte canopy and a gray rubberized handle. There’s a small white sticker on the case with the Central Michigan University logo, plus a tiny scratch along the edge of the canopy from a brush with a cart. If this belongs to you, I’m happy to return it—hope the owner sees this and knows it’s still out there.

Central Michigan 3 months ago

found P

Concert tickets found near Soaring Eagle, Mount Pleasant

I found a pair of printed concert tickets this afternoon around 2:15pm, lying on the ground near the entrance of the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort on S Mission Street in Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan. They're glossy, standard-size tickets with a purple-to-blue gradient and a barcode, and the seating is listed as Section B, Row 4, Seats 8 and 9 for an upcoming Friday show. They were tucked into a small crumpled envelope with a handwritten 'Return to owner' note and a tiny blue sticker bearing the initial H. If this belongs to you, please reach out so I can help you get them back before the event.

Central Michigan 4 months ago

found P

Gray tote bag found near CMU library

I found a gray tote bag this afternoon around 2:15pm near the Central Michigan University Library on University Ave in Mount Pleasant. It's a medium-sized canvas tote with a black bottom and frayed handles, and the bright red lining peeks out when you open it. Inside there’s a blue spiral notebook with a CMU sticker on the cover and a pink umbrella tucked in the corner, plus a metal keyring with a small tag. There’s a small green patch on the outside that says 'wander & study'—that should help identify it.

Central Michigan 5 months ago

found P

Found insulin pen and glucose meter case

I found a small medical kit this afternoon around 2:15pm in the CMU Library parking lot behind Warriner Library, near the East Campus Drive entrance in Mount Pleasant. Inside a translucent blue zip pouch is a blue insulin pen with a bright red cap and a grey glucose meter, plus a small blister pack of test strips. The pouch has a white sticker that reads 'CareTeam' in blue, and the pen's label has handwritten initials. This item clearly belongs to someone managing diabetes, and I'd really like to get it back to the owner. If this sounds like yours, we can arrange a safe handoff at the CMU Campus Safety building.

Central Michigan 6 months ago