Found a Lost Wallet, Phone or Cash in Kuwait: What Is Your Legal Duty, and When Does Keeping It Become a Crime?

It happens all the time: a wallet lying in a car park, a phone forgotten on a bench in a shopping mall, banknotes dropped next to an ATM. The person who finds them is left with fair questions. Does the item belong to me now that I found it? Is it enough to leave it where it is? If I pick it up to hand it in, could I get into trouble if I am late or lose it again? The owner, meanwhile, wants to know how to report the loss and how to get the item back if it turns up with someone else.

This article deals with what Islamic jurists call "luqata", property that has been lost and is found by someone other than its owner, and with the duties and rights that Kuwaiti law attaches to finding it. It does not re-explain the elements of theft, which we covered in Theft under Kuwaiti Law, nor the offence of breach of trust, discussed in The Crime of Breach of Trust in Kuwaiti Law. Money that lands in your bank account by mistake has its own article, Money Transferred by Mistake in Kuwait, and is only touched on briefly here.

We explain the difference between lost, abandoned and merely forgotten property; the finder's duty to safeguard the item and hand it over or notify the owner; when keeping lost property may become a crime; the particular position of items left in malls, at the airport and in taxis; why a lost phone and the personal data on it call for extra care; whether a finder is entitled to a reward or to reimbursement; and how an owner should report a loss and recover the item. Good faith runs through all of it.

The Short Answer

Finding something does not transfer ownership to you. Lost property remains the property of its owner. Ownership is not lost merely because the item fell or was forgotten, which is different from an item the owner deliberately threw away. Once the finder picks the item up, he holds it on behalf of the owner, not for himself, and must look after it and return it to the owner or hand it to the competent authority. In practice that means the nearest police station, or the lost-property desk of the place where it was found, such as a mall, the airport or a transport company.

Keeping the item with the intention of owning it, spending the money, selling the phone, or hiding the item after learning who owns it may expose the finder to criminal liability under the Kuwaiti Penal Code (Law No. 16 of 1960). Depending on the facts, the conduct may be characterised as unlawful appropriation of another person's property, theft, or breach of trust, in addition to civil liability to return the item and pay compensation. The decisive factor is intent, which is inferred from behaviour: did the finder promptly announce and hand over what he found, or did he hide it and treat it as his own?

Conversely, a finder acting in good faith who hands the item over within a reasonable time and obtains proof of handover is not liable. He may be able to recover necessary expenses he incurred in keeping the item, and he is entitled to any reward the owner publicly announced. An owner who has lost something should report it at the police station straight away, block cards and the phone SIM, and keep proof of ownership so the item can be reclaimed if it turns up.

The Legal Framework

To our knowledge, Kuwait has no single, comprehensive "lost property law". The rules are spread across several sources that complement each other:

• The Civil Code (Decree-Law No. 67 of 1980): sets the general rules on ownership and how it is acquired. It distinguishes between movables that have no owner, which can be acquired by taking possession of them, and owned movables, whose owner does not lose title simply because they were lost. It also regulates possession of movables and its effects, the owner's right to recover his property, agency without authority (fudala), under which a person who acts urgently in another's interest can recover what he spent, unjust enrichment and payment of what is not due, and public promises of reward.
• The Penal Code (Law No. 16 of 1960): protects ownership and possession through criminal law, including the offences of theft and breach of trust and other forms of interference with another person's property. How the retention of lost property is characterised depends on the facts and on the provision the Public Prosecution and the court consider applicable. For that reason this article deliberately avoids citing a specific article number or a specific penalty.
• The Code of Criminal Procedure (Law No. 17 of 1960): governs how police stations receive reports and record statements, and how investigating authorities seize, keep and return items to their owners, including items whose owner is unknown.
• The Cybercrime Law (Law No. 63 of 2015): directly relevant where the lost item is a phone, laptop or storage device, since it criminalises unauthorised access to systems and data and the misuse of other people's information.
• Islamic jurisprudence on luqata: an important reference for the finder's moral and religious duty. In substance it matches the legal rules: keep the item safely, make it known, and return it to its owner once identified. Jurists also distinguish trivial items that people do not usually look for from items of value, where the duty to safeguard and publicise is stronger.

On top of these, administrative bodies may issue internal rules on lost property at public facilities such as the airport, and malls and companies usually have their own procedures. These can change, so it is sensible to check with the relevant body at the time.

The Substantive Rules

1. What counts as lost property, and how it differs from abandoned or forgotten items

Not everything you find outside its owner's hands is "lost" in the legal sense. Three situations need to be kept apart, because they determine your duty and how your conduct may be characterised:

• Abandoned property: something the owner has deliberately given up, such as items thrown into a rubbish bin or old furniture left by the roadside to be disposed of. This is treated as ownerless and may generally be taken, unless a specific rule prevents it.
• Lost property (luqata): something that left the owner's hands without his will, dropped or forgotten in a public place that nobody controls, such as a wallet in the street or cash in a public car park. The owner has not given it up, and he remains the owner even if he does not know where it is.
• Items forgotten in a place that someone controls: a phone left on a restaurant table, a bag left in a taxi, a card left in a bank's ATM. Here the item has not really gone "out into the open"; in practice it is now in the possession of whoever runs the place, who must look after it and return it. Someone who quietly takes such an item intending to keep it may be viewed more severely than someone who simply fails to hand in a lost item.

The practical rule: unless you are sure the owner deliberately gave the item up, treat it as lost property that belongs to someone else. Apparent value, an ID card, photos or data inside it, and where it was found all suggest that the owner is looking for it. An item that looks old or cheap may still matter a great deal to its owner, or contain documents that are hard to replace.

2. Ownership is not lost by losing the item

The basic civil-law position is that ownership is a permanent right. It does not lapse through non-use and is not lost because the item left the owner's hands against his will. The owner who lost a wallet still owns it and its contents and can claim them wherever they are found. Islamic jurisprudence takes the same view, treating the finder as a trustee of the lost item, not its owner.

It follows that the finder acquires no right over the item simply by finding it, and that any dealing with it, whether selling it, giving it away or spending it, is a dealing in someone else's property that does not bind the owner. A person who buys a phone from the finder knowing where it came from is not protected, and may himself be liable. The position of a buyer in good faith is more nuanced and is covered in point 10 below.

Popular sayings such as "finders keepers" have no basis in law. Where the item was found does not change who owns it, and the absence of anyone visibly guarding it does not make it free for the taking.

3. The finder's duty: safeguard, then hand over or notify

The law does not require anyone to pick up every item they see on the ground; a person who leaves the item untouched owes nothing in respect of it. But once you pick the item up, you take on obligations:

• Duty of care: look after the item as a reasonable person would, without exposing it to damage or loss and without using it for yourself. A finder who leaves a phone in plain view in his car until it is stolen may be civilly liable for that carelessness.
• Duty to return or notify: return the item to its owner if you know or can easily find out who that is, for example from a civil ID or business card with a phone number, or hand it to the competent authority, primarily the nearest police station, or to the lost-property desk of the place where it was found.
• Duty to act promptly: hand over or notify within a reasonable time in the circumstances. Unjustified delay, especially if combined with using or hiding the item, can be used as evidence against the finder when his intent is assessed.
• Duty of honesty over contents: hand the item over as it was, with all its contents. A finder who returns a wallet after removing the cash has not done his duty and may be liable for what he kept.

When handing an item to the police station, ask for proof of handover, such as a record or receipt describing the item and its contents, the date of handover and where it was found. That document protects you against any later claim that you kept or took something.

Even when the wallet clearly shows who the owner is, handing it to the police station is usually the safest course: the station can contact the owner officially, and you avoid dealing directly with people who might falsely claim to own it. Contacting the owner yourself is fine if you can verify his identity, provided you document the handover by message or in front of a witness.

4. When does keeping lost property become a crime?

This is what worries most people, and the careful answer is that there is no single answer for every case, because the criminal characterisation depends on the facts and on the finder's intent. The main lines of analysis can be summarised as follows, with the final word belonging to the Public Prosecution and the court:

• Intent to keep from the moment of picking up: if it is shown that the finder picked up the item already determined to keep it and hide it from the owner, the conduct approaches taking another person's property without consent, and in some circumstances may be treated as theft, particularly where the owner was nearby or easily identifiable.
• Intent formed later: if the finder picked the item up meaning to return it, then changed his mind and kept or disposed of it, the question becomes whether he converted his possession from possession on the owner's behalf into possession for himself. Depending on the facts, this may be treated as appropriation of lost property or as something close to breach of trust, and views on the correct characterisation differ.
• Items forgotten in a controlled place: quietly taking a phone from a café table or a wallet from a shop counter looks more like taking from someone else's possession, and may therefore be treated more harshly.
• Someone entrusted with the item through his job: a lost-property clerk, a security guard, or a taxi driver who was handed the item for safekeeping and then took it for himself. Here breach of trust comes to the fore, because the property was handed over for safekeeping and then converted.

Typical indicators of bad faith include switching the phone off as soon as it is found, factory-resetting it or changing its SIM, spending the cash, discarding cards and documents that identify the owner, denying having found the item when asked, and offering it for sale. Indicators of good faith include publicising the find, answering the owner's calls, going to the police station, and keeping the item as it was.

Alongside any criminal liability there is a civil obligation to return. Even where no crime is made out because criminal intent is lacking, a person who benefits from someone else's property without lawful cause must return it or its value, under the rules on unjust enrichment explained in Unjust Enrichment under the Kuwaiti Civil Code. He may also have to compensate the owner for harm caused by withholding or damaging the item, such as the cost of replacing documents.

5. Lost property in malls, at the airport and in taxis

Places open to the public are a special case, because the owner or operator of the place is in possession of what is left there and is responsible for keeping it and organising its return:

• Malls, restaurants and hotels: an item found there should normally be handed to customer service or security. Management must keep it, log it and release it only to someone who proves ownership. The finder should still get proof of handover, such as a reference number or the name of the staff member who took it.
• The airport and aircraft: items left in terminal areas or on board are subject to the procedures of the operator and the airlines. If you find something at the airport, hand it to the nearest official or security point rather than leaving with it. If you lose something there, contact the airline and the airport's lost-property service.
• Taxis and ride-hailing apps: a driver who finds something a passenger left behind must return it, and transport companies and apps usually have a procedure for reporting and returning lost items. A driver who keeps what a passenger left and ignores the passenger's calls may face more serious consequences than a passer-by who finds something, because the item came into his hands in the course of a service he was providing to that passenger.
• Government service centres and banks: items left at service counters or ATMs should be handed to staff or to the bank concerned. A bank card left in an ATM must never be taken or used.

When handing an item to staff in these places, note the name of the person who took it and the time, and photograph the item first if possible, in case the owner later alleges that something is missing. The body that receives the item then becomes responsible for looking after it; if it is lost there or released to the wrong person through negligence, the owner may have a claim against that body under the general rules of liability.

6. Mobile phones and the personal data on them

A phone is not an ordinary object. It holds photos, conversations, banking apps, health information and family and work secrets. Interfering with its contents can be more serious than keeping the device itself. What the finder needs to know:

• Do not try to unlock it or browse its contents: accessing someone else's data without permission may fall within the conduct criminalised by the Cybercrime Law (Law No. 63 of 2015), quite apart from the invasion of privacy.
• Answering the owner's call is fine: if the phone rings and the caller appears to be the owner or a relative, answering and arranging the handover is the right thing to do. Many phones display a contact number on the lock screen once "lost mode" is activated.
• Do not factory-reset it or remove the SIM: this erases what identifies the owner and is usually treated as strong evidence of intent to keep the phone.
• Do not post images of its contents: not even to trace the owner. A general description of the device and where it was found is enough; leave verification of ownership to the police station or the relevant authority.

If the finder looks through the phone and then uses what he finds to defame, blackmail or copy photos, those are serious, separate offences that have nothing to do with simply finding the device. We cover data protection and privacy in Personal Data Protection and Digital Privacy in Kuwait.

The same applies, with appropriate adjustments, to laptops, storage devices and smartwatches, and to sensitive paper documents such as medical reports or work files left in a public place. The finder holds both the item and its secrets in trust, and may not read, use or disclose them.

7. Is the finder entitled to a reward?

To our knowledge, the Civil Code does not grant an automatic reward, such as a fixed percentage of the item's value, to everyone who finds and returns lost property. The finder may nonetheless have a financial claim in two situations:

• Necessary expenses: if the finder had to spend money to preserve the item or get it to its owner, for example keeping something perishable or transporting a heavy item to the authorities, he may be able to recover those costs from the owner under the rules on agency without authority, that is, a person acting urgently on another's behalf without being obliged to, provided the expenses were necessary or useful and reasonable.
• A public promise of reward: if the owner publicly offered a reward, for instance a social media post saying whoever finds the phone will be rewarded, that announcement is a promise of reward addressed to the public and binds the owner towards whoever does what was asked, on the announced terms.

Demanding a reward before returning the item, or holding on to it until the owner pays, is risky. You may not withhold someone else's property to obtain payment that was neither announced nor agreed, and in some circumstances this could be seen as improper pressure on the owner. The safer course is always to hand the item back first, then claim expenses or an announced reward if there is a basis for it. Nothing, of course, stops the owner from voluntarily giving the finder a gift by way of thanks.

8. Money transferred by mistake

A modern form of "lost money" is an unexpected credit to your account because someone typed the wrong account or phone number in an instant transfer. The same principle applies: the money does not become yours because it reached your account. You must return it once you know of the mistake, and spending it knowing it is not yours may expose you to liability. We set out the steps for the sender, the recipient and the bank in Money Transferred by Mistake in Kuwait, so we will not repeat them here. One warning: return the money through the bank, not by transferring it directly to someone who calls claiming to be the owner, because fraudsters sometimes use exactly that approach.

9. Good faith and protection of the honest finder

The law does not punish honesty, and a finder acting in good faith is protected. Good faith shows in promptly publicising and handing over the item, keeping it as it was, and cooperating with the owner or the police. A short delay for an acceptable reason, such as finding the item at night and handing it in the next morning, or waiting a short while for the owner to call the phone, is not in itself evidence of bad faith.

But good faith needs to be provable. The owner may accuse the finder of taking part of the contents or of delaying on purpose. The finder should therefore keep a photo of the item and its contents, a note of when and where it was found, any messages with the owner, and the handover receipt. A finder who is maliciously accused after honestly returning an item can defend himself and may have recourse against the person who falsely accused him, as explained in False Reports and Malicious Complaints in Kuwait.

The honest finder is also not liable for damage to the item that he did not cause, as long as he took ordinary care of it. Someone who picks up an already broken phone or a soaked wallet is not responsible for the condition it was in when found, which is another reason a photo taken at the moment of finding is useful.

10. If you have lost something: reporting and recovery

For the owner, speed matters most. The key steps:

• Report the loss at the police station: file a loss report at the competent station, describing the item, its contents, and where and when it was lost as precisely as possible, and obtain proof of the report. It is usually required to replace official documents such as the civil ID, passport and driving licence.
• Block cards and accounts: call your banks immediately to block cards, ask your telecom provider to suspend the SIM, and change passwords for important accounts. If your card was used after the loss, see Bank Fraud and Card Theft in Kuwait.
• Activate lost mode on your phone: using the manufacturer's location services, with a contact number shown on screen. Do not go on your own to a location where the phone appears to be with a stranger; give the information to the police instead.
• Check lost-property points: the mall's customer service, the airline, the ride-hailing app, and police stations near where the item was lost, since the finder may have handed it in at a different station.
• Prove ownership: purchase invoice, device serial number, earlier photos of the item and a precise description of its contents all make it easier to collect the item once it turns up.

What if the item turns up with someone who bought it? The owner remains the owner, and in principle can recover a lost or stolen movable from whoever holds it. However, the Civil Code balances the owner's right against the need for certainty in dealings in movables. It protects a possessor in good faith through special rules, may limit the right of recovery to a certain period, or may require the owner to refund the price the possessor paid if he bought in good faith at a public market or from a dealer in such goods, with the owner then having recourse against whoever caused the loss or sold what he did not own. The precise periods and conditions must be taken from the text of the Civil Code and applied to the facts, so it is wise to have the case reviewed by a lawyer before taking action. Where the owner needs to show that someone received the item for safekeeping, the rules on deposit and trust explained in The Deposit Contract and Trust Obligations in Kuwaiti Law may help.

Principles of the Court of Cassation

We do not cite specific judgments on lost property as such, but several general principles in criminal and civil matters apply directly to these situations:

• Criminal intent is a question of fact: the Court of Cassation has consistently held that whether an intent to appropriate existed is a factual question for the trial judge to infer from the circumstances of the case, provided the inference is reasonable and grounded in the case file. This is why the finder's conduct after finding the item matters so much.
• Breach of trust presupposes delivery in trust: the Court of Cassation has consistently held that breach of trust requires that the property was handed to the accused on a basis obliging him to return it or use it for a particular purpose, and that he then converted his possession into ownership. That is why this characterisation fits someone entrusted with the item through his job better than a passing finder.
• Doubt benefits the accused: the Court of Cassation has consistently held that criminal judgments must rest on certainty, not on supposition or probability. The mere fact that the item was with the finder, alongside evidence of his good faith, is not enough on its own for a conviction.
• Binding effect of a criminal judgment on the civil court: the Court of Cassation has consistently held that a final criminal judgment binds the civil court on what it necessarily decided, namely whether the act occurred and who committed it, which helps the owner in a claim for return or compensation.
• Assessing good faith: the Court of Cassation has consistently held that good faith is presumed, that whoever alleges the contrary must prove it, and that assessing it falls within the trial court's discretion.

A note on method: these principles are stated in general terms summarising settled case law. We do not cite appeal numbers, because we never publish a judgment reference we have not verified against its official source. We have likewise avoided citing article numbers, penalties and time limits, because the criminal characterisation of keeping lost property varies with the facts. Anyone relying on a specific judgment or provision in a live dispute should consult the official text in force and the official law reports, or have the case reviewed by a lawyer.

Practical Steps and Documents

If you find something

• Assess the situation: is the item in a place with an owner or operator, such as a restaurant, mall or taxi? If so, hand it to the person in charge there.
• Look for the owner lawfully: an ID card in the wallet, a number on a business card, or answering a call to the phone, without unlocking it or browsing its contents.
• Document it: photograph the item and its contents, note the time and place, and keep any messages with people claiming ownership.
• Hand it to the police station if you cannot reach the owner: and ask for proof of handover describing the item and its contents.
• Do not hand it to anyone whose ownership you have not checked: ask them to describe the item or its contents, or to show an invoice; if in doubt, direct them to the police station.
• Keep the receipt: it is your evidence if any dispute arises later.

If you lose something

• Loss report at the police station: with a precise description and a list of contents.
• Block cards and SIM: and change passwords for banking and email accounts.
• Proof of ownership: purchase invoice, serial number, photos of the item and a copy of your civil ID.
• Follow up with lost-property points: the mall, the airport, the airline, the transport app and nearby police stations.
• Replacement documents: apply to the issuing authorities for replacements, providing proof of the loss report where required.
• If someone has the item and refuses to return it: do not try to take it back by force; report it to the police or the prosecution and take legal advice on criminal proceedings or a civil recovery claim.

Illustrative Scenarios

Scenario 1: A wallet in a mall car park

The hypothetical facts: a man finds a wallet in a mall car park containing a civil ID, cash and two bank cards. He takes it home meaning to hand it in, but gets caught up for a long time, then learns that the owner has reported the loss and the car-park cameras show someone picking it up.

The legal analysis: what matters is his intent and conduct. If the wallet is untouched with all its contents, and he goes to the police station as soon as he learns of the report and explains the delay, his good faith is reinforced, although a long unexplained delay may raise questions. If cash is missing or the cards were used, the picture changes completely: he may face criminal proceedings for appropriating the money, as well as an obligation to repay what he took. The practical lesson: he should have handed it to mall security or the police the same day.

Scenario 2: A phone left in a taxi

The hypothetical facts: a passenger leaves his phone in a taxi booked through a ride-hailing app. He calls it several times without an answer, then it is switched off. Days later, location data shows the phone in use with a different SIM.

The legal analysis: the phone was not lost in a public place; it stayed in a car the driver controlled while providing a service to the passenger, and the driver was bound to keep it and return it or hand it in through the app. Ignoring calls, switching the phone off and changing the SIM are strong indicators of intent to keep it. Depending on the facts, this may be characterised as appropriation of another's property or breach of trust, a matter for the prosecution and the court. If the driver accessed or used the phone's contents, cybercrime issues may also arise. The passenger should report to both the police and the app, with proof of ownership and the serial number.

Scenario 3: An honest finder accused of missing contents

The hypothetical facts: a woman finds a handbag in a public prayer room and hands it to the police station the same day, obtaining a record of its contents. The owner later claims there was more money in it than recorded and threatens to accuse the finder.

The legal analysis: good faith is presumed, and the finder documented the handover and contents immediately, which puts the burden of proof on whoever alleges something is missing. Without evidence that she took anything, the accusation has no foundation, and criminal judgments must rest on certainty. If a report is filed against her knowing it to be false, she may be able to take appropriate legal action. The case shows the value of a record or receipt listing the contents.

Quick Comparison

• Deliberately abandoned items (rubbish, discarded furniture): usually ownerless and may be taken under the general rules, unless the circumstances suggest they were not abandoned on purpose.
• Items lost in a public place (a wallet in the street): still owned by the owner; whoever picks it up must keep it and return it or hand it to the police; keeping it with intent to own may lead to criminal and civil liability.
• Items forgotten in a controlled place (restaurant, mall, taxi): hand to whoever runs the place; quietly taking it with intent to keep may be treated more severely.
• Items handed to an employee or driver for safekeeping: the recipient holds them in trust; taking them is closer to breach of trust.
• Phones and electronic devices: in addition to the above, interfering with the contents may give rise to separate liability under the Cybercrime Law (Law No. 63 of 2015).
• Money transferred to you by mistake: not yours; return it through the bank; spending it knowingly may create liability; covered in a separate article.
• The finder's reward: no automatic reward to our knowledge; the finder may recover necessary expenses under the rules on agency without authority, and any reward the owner publicly promised, on its terms.

Frequently Asked Questions

I found a small amount of money on the ground. Do I have to take it to the police?

In principle, lost money belongs to someone else whatever the amount. Trivial sums whose owner is unlikely to search for them and cannot be identified are viewed differently in practice, and jurists were lenient about trivial items. The greater the value, or the clearer the clues to the owner, the stronger the duty to hand it in.

Do I become the owner if nobody asks for the item for a long time?

Ownership does not pass automatically just because time goes by while you hold the item without handing it in, since you were holding it for the owner. What happens to items handed to official bodies and never claimed is governed by the rules of those bodies; ask the body that received it.

Is it enough to leave the item where it is?

Yes. If you do not pick it up, you owe nothing in respect of it. If it is in a place with someone in charge, such as a restaurant or mall, telling them is a good step that makes it more likely to reach the owner.

I picked up a phone and it keeps ringing. Should I answer?

Yes. Answering a caller who appears to be the owner or a relative to arrange its return is the right approach, preferably handing it over in a public place or at the police station. Do not try to unlock it or browse its contents.

Someone called saying the phone is theirs. How can I be sure?

Ask them to describe the device, its case and wallpaper, to call from a number saved in it, or to show the invoice. If in doubt, agree to hand it over at the police station.

Can I ask for a reward in return for giving the item back?

Do not make the return conditional on payment. You may claim necessary expenses you incurred and any reward the owner publicly announced. Holding the item until you are paid is improper and may expose you to liability.

I found a bank card in an ATM. What should I do?

Do not keep or use it under any circumstances. Hand it to the branch of the bank that owns the ATM or to the police, or report it to the bank on the number displayed on the machine.

I handed the item to mall security and they lost it. Am I liable?

By handing it to the body in charge of the place, you fulfilled your duty and responsibility for safekeeping passed to them. Keeping proof of the handover and the name of the person who received it helps here.

I lost my wallet. What do I need to get replacement documents?

Issuing authorities usually ask for proof that the loss was reported, so start with a report at the police station, then check each authority's current requirements, as procedures can change.

I saw my lost phone advertised for sale online. Should I go and get it back myself?

That is not advisable. Record the advert and the device serial number and report it to the police or the competent authority, and let them handle recovery, to avoid confrontation or counter-accusations.

I bought a used phone and it turned out to be lost or stolen. Where do I stand?

The owner can still claim it. The rules protecting good-faith possessors may help you in some circumstances, for example by allowing you to recover what you paid if you bought it at a market or from a dealer in such goods. Keep the invoice and the seller's details, and take legal advice.

Is the position different if the finder is a child?

Criminal liability of juveniles is governed by special rules, but the obligation to return the item still stands, and the parent should make sure it is returned. It is worth teaching children to hand anything they find to the nearest responsible adult.

Money I do not recognise arrived in my account. Is that like lost property?

The principle is the same: it is not yours and must be returned. But the return should go through the bank, not by direct transfer to someone who calls you; details are in our separate article on mistaken transfers.

Conclusion

The golden rule on lost property is simple: what you found is not yours. Losing an item does not end the owner's title, and picking it up makes the finder its trustee, bound to keep it and return it or hand it to the police or whoever runs the place. A finder who does so in good faith and documents the handover is safe, and may even recover expenses and any reward the owner announced.

Keeping the item, spending the money, selling the phone or interfering with its contents can turn a chance encounter into criminal and civil liability, and how the conduct is characterised depends on the facts: was the item in a public place or a controlled one, was it received through the person's job, and when did the intent to keep it arise? Those are questions for the investigation and the courts, on the evidence.

If you have lost something, act quickly: report it at the police station, block cards and your SIM, document ownership and follow up with lost-property points. If the item turns up with someone who refuses to return it, the way forward is the law, not confrontation.

Legal Notice

This article provides general legal information about Kuwaiti law and is not legal advice. It does not create a lawyer-client relationship. The rules described are subject to legislative change and to judicial application to the facts of each case, and are no substitute for the official texts in force.

If you have found lost property and are worried your position may be misunderstood, if you have lost something that is now with someone who refuses to return it, or if you face an accusation relating to property you found, the team at Yumnaak Law Firm can review your situation and advise on the right course of action. Reach us through our Contact Us page or book an appointment.