Short answer. You must return it to its previous possessor if known. Article 2171 sends you to Articles 719 and 720: if the owner is unknown, deposit the movable with the mayor for public announcement, and if the owner appears within six months, you get one-tenth of its value as a reward.
What the law says
The rights and obligations of the finder of lost personal property shall be governed by articles 719 and 720.
Civil Code, Article 2171 — Rights of a Finder of Lost Property. Read the full provision →
What the law says
Whoever finds a movable, which is not treasure, must return it to its previous possessor. If the latter is unknown, the finder shall immediately deposit it with the mayor of the city or municipality where the finding has taken place.
Civil Code, Article 719 — Duty Of A Finder Of Lost Movables. Read the full provision →
What the law says
Six months from the publication having elapsed without the owner having appeared, the thing found, or its value, shall be awarded to the finder.
Civil Code, Article 719 — Duty Of A Finder Of Lost Movables. Read the full provision →
Article 2171 points you to the real rules
Article 2171 does not itself set out the finder's duties; it simply confirms which provisions apply: The rights and obligations of the finder of lost personal property shall be governed by articles 719 and 720. So the concrete steps you actually have to follow when you find a lost movable that is not treasure come from those two articles, not from Article 2171 directly.
Return it, or hand it to the mayor
Article 719 states the core duty plainly: Whoever finds a movable, which is not treasure, must return it to its previous possessor. If the latter is unknown, the finder shall immediately deposit it with the mayor of the city or municipality where the finding has taken place. If you know who lost it, the obligation is simple: give it back. If you have no idea who the previous possessor was, you are required to deposit the item with the local mayor rather than keep it yourself while you wait to see if the owner turns up.
What happens after the deposit
Once deposited, Article 719 provides for the finding to be publicly announced for two consecutive weeks, and, if the item cannot be kept without deteriorating or without expenses that considerably reduce its value, it may be sold at public auction eight days after the publication. The article then gives a clear outcome if nobody claims it: Six months from the publication having elapsed without the owner having appeared, the thing found, or its value, shall be awarded to the finder. If the owner does appear within that period, both the finder and the owner are obliged to reimburse each other's expenses as the case may be.
Why you should not simply keep what you find
Treating a lost movable as a windfall you can quietly keep is not what the law allows, unless the six-month period has actually run without any owner appearing. Article 720, which Article 2171 also points to, gives the finder a reward, one-tenth of the value of the thing found, if the owner does appear and reclaim it in time, which is meant as the finder's compensation for doing the right thing rather than an invitation to simply hold onto found property.
Related provisions
- Civil Code, Article 2171 — Rights of a Finder of Lost Property
- Civil Code, Article 719 — Duty Of A Finder Of Lost Movables
- Civil Code, Article 720 — The Finder's Reward