Basic property law, guys... a bundle of sticks, each stick represents a right or entitlement to the property. A seller can only convey as good of a title as he acquired. A thief has no title, nor can he convey good title. Nor can any subsequent buyer. That is basic, fundamental stuff in law school.
With Unclaimed Luggage in Scottsboro, it is unclaimed. Abandoned. No crime. Not the same at all.
With police bike auctions you left out the part about where the police attempt to locate the rightful owner and return the bike. And then the part about the bike's nominal value versus storage costs, and the municipality's decision to sell or give away bikes after a certain period of time. (Usually to kids that can't afford bikes.) The police aren't auctioning off recovered stolen jewelry like that, now, are they???
I don't really want to digress down to the point where it matters whether either of you went to law school, or not, you obviously think that a good faith buyer should eventually acquire a true ownership interest in items that were stolen. But just so I'll know, did either of you ever attend law school anywhere?
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