(a) Personal property which the landlord reasonably believes to have been lost shall be disposed of pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 2080) of Chapter 4 of Title 6. The landlord is not liable to the owner of the property if he complies with this subdivision.
(b) If the appropriate police or sheriff’s department refuses to accept property pursuant to subdivision (a), the landlord may dispose of the property pursuant to this chapter.