N.Y. Nav. Law § 138

§ 138. Sale and disposition of property. 1. If within a year after\nwrecked property shall have been saved, no person shall have appeared to\nclaim the same, or if the salvage and expenses on such property shall\nnot have been paid within three months after the same shall have been\nadjusted, or an action for the recovery of the property shall have been\ncommenced, the officer in whose custody the property shall be shall sell\nthe same at public auction, and pay the proceeds of such sale, deducting\nsalvage and expenses, to the state comptroller pursuant to the\nprovisions of section thirteen hundred seven of the abandoned property\nlaw for the benefit of the parties interested; but in no case shall any\ndeduction of salvage and expenses be made unless the amount thereof\nshall have been adjusted upon due proof, by an order of such county or\ncity court, a copy of which order and of the evidence in support thereof\nshall be transmitted by the court making it to the comptroller.\n 2. If the property has been sold as perishable, pursuant to the\nprovisions of section one hundred thirty-one, the balance of the\nproceeds, after deducting the salvage and expenses as adjusted, shall be\npaid by the county treasurer to the state comptroller as provided in\nsection thirteen hundred seven of the abandoned property law.\n