Whenever any person confined in any state institution subject to the jurisdiction of the Youth Authority dies, and any personal funds or property of such person remains in the hands of the Director of the Youth Authority, and no demand is made upon said director by the owner of the funds or property or his legally appointed representative, all money and other personal property of such decedent remaining in the custody or possession of the Director of the Youth Authority shall be held by him for a period of one year from the date of death of the decedent, for the benefit of the heirs, legatees, or successors in interest of such decedent.
Upon the expiration of said one-year period, any money remaining unclaimed in the custody or possession of the director shall be delivered by him to the State Treasurer for deposit in the Unclaimed Property Fund under the provisions of Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 10 of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Upon the expiration of said one-year period, all personal property and documents of the decedent, other than cash, remaining unclaimed in the custody or possession of the director shall be disposed of as follows:
(a)
All deeds, contracts or assignments shall be filed by the director with the public administrator of the county of commitment of the decedent;
(b)
All other personal property shall be sold by the director at public auction, or upon a sealed-bid basis, and the proceeds of the sale delivered by him to the State Treasurer in the same manner as is herein provided with respect to unclaimed money of the decedent. If he deems it expedient to do so, the director may accumulate the property of several decedents and sell the property in such lots as he may determine, provided that he makes a determination as to each decedent’s share of the proceeds;
(c)
If any personal property of the decedent is not salable at public auction, or upon a sealed-bid basis, or if it has no intrinsic value, or if its value is not sufficient to justify the deposit of such property in the State Treasury, the director may order it destroyed;
(d)
All other unclaimed personal property of the decedent not disposed of as provided in paragraphs (a), (b), or (c) hereof, shall be delivered by the director to the State Controller for deposit in the State Treasury under the provisions of Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 10 of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure.