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

Helpful resources for Richmond

Nextdoor
Reach neighbors to return a found item

Recent reports in Richmond

found P

Found silver bracelet with moon charm and initials tag

I found a silver bracelet this afternoon around 3:15 pm outside the Riverwalk Market on High Street in Richmond. It's a slim, 7-inch sterling-silver bracelet, with a delicate moon charm and a tiny heart charm. There's a small tag engraved 'A.P.' on the clasp, and the bracelet shows a little tarnish from wear. It was lying on the pavement near the bike racks by the Richmond Station entrance; I picked it up and hoped to help reunite it with its owner. If this belongs to you or you know who does, please get in touch.

Richmond about 2 months ago

found L

Found navy blue Blunt Metro umbrella

I found a navy blue Blunt Metro travel umbrella this afternoon around 4:15pm, near the Byrd Theatre on West Cary Street in Carytown, Richmond. It's a compact, auto-open model with a black curved handle and a metallic tip. The canopy fabric is a deep navy with a subtle silver pinstripe along the edge, and there's a tiny coffee stain on the sleeve. On the sleeve, a small red star-shaped embroidery adds a unique identifying touch. It looks to be in good condition overall. If someone lost this, I'd love to get it back—let's meet near the theatre or at the coffee shop across the street.

Richmond 3 months ago

found P

Found black rectangular glasses with thin metal frames

I found a pair of black rectangular glasses this afternoon around 2:15pm outside the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on Arthur Ashe Boulevard, near the front steps. They’re solid black with thin metal temples, and the left temple has a tiny diagonal scratch while the inside of the right temple is etched with the initials 'KH'. They came with a soft black pouch, but there’s no case or identifying lens tint beyond a faint smudge. If these belong to you, I’d love to help get them back—shoot me a message with something only you’d know to verify.

Richmond 3 months ago

found A

Found Ryobi cordless drill with yellow case

I found a Ryobi 18V One+ cordless drill this afternoon around 2:15pm in the parking lot behind the Richmond Public Library on East Franklin Street. It's yellow and black, about the size of a standard drill, with a few scratches on the housing and a small dent near the chuck. The battery has blue painter's tape with the initials AR on it, and there's a faded red marker line along the grip. It's in decent condition and looks like it's been used a bit but should still work. If this is yours, send me a message and we can arrange a quick pickup near there.

Richmond 4 months ago

found A

Found red knit Christmas scarf with snowflakes

I found a red knit Christmas scarf with white snowflakes this afternoon around 2:15pm behind the CVS on West Broad Street near Monroe Park in Richmond. It's a soft, chunky scarf about 60 inches long, with fluffy fringe on both ends and a small snag from a coat zipper. The inner tag reads 'Maggie's Knit Co.' and there's a tiny pine-tree embroidery near the label, a couple of distinctive touches that might help identify the owner. If anyone recognizes it, please get in touch; I'd love to help reunite someone with their seasonal favorite.

Richmond 4 months ago

found P

Silver-tone necklace with sapphire heart pendant

I found a silver-tone necklace this afternoon around 3:30pm in the CVS parking lot on West Cary Street, near the VCU campus in Richmond. It's an 18-inch chain with a heart-shaped pendant that holds a tiny sapphire inlay. The back is engraved with the initials 'M.E.' and the pendant shows a few light scratches from wear. I figured someone might be missing it, it looked like it had sentimental value. If this is yours, reply here and we can figure out a safe meetup in Carytown.

Richmond 5 months ago