(1) The authority or the transport agency may have the thing delivered to it sold at public auction. The public authorities and the transport agency of the Reich, the states (Bundesstaat) and the municipalities may have the auction carried out by one of their officials.
(1a) The auction may also take place on the Internet as a public auction, subject to the provisos of the following provisions.
(1b) The Federal Government is authorised to designate, by means of a statutory instrument without the consent of the Bundesrat, for the area falling within its remit auction platforms for the auctioning of lost-and-found items; it may assign this authorisation by means of a statutory instrument to the supreme federal authorities with specialist responsibility. The Land governments are authorised to make corresponding arrangements for the areas falling within their remit by means of a statutory instrument; they may assign the authorisation to the supreme Land authorities with specialist responsibility. The Länder may designate auction platforms which they use nationwide. They may agree to assign processing tasks to the competent agency of another Land.
(2) The proceeds of sale take the place of the thing.