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FSU / Controller's Office / Property Accounting / Frequently Asked Property Questions - Dispositions & Surplus Property
Frequently Asked Property Questions - Dispositions & Surplus Property
1. How do I dispose of departmental assets?
2. What is the difference between cannibalized and scrapped / junked assets?
4. What is the difference between a missing asset and a stolen asset?
5. What is a "deployed" asset?
7. Can I trade an item no longer needed for another asset?
8. What is scrubbing a computer?
10. How do I surplus property that is not in inventory?
11. How do I surplus multiples of the same type of asset (e.g. chairs, desks, file cabinets, etc.)?
12. As an FSU employee, may I attend surplus auctions and bid?
13. How do I tell what kind of condition a surplus asset is in?
16. How much does it cost to transfer a surplus asset to my department?
17. How do I physically get a surplus asset to my department?
1. How do I dispose of departmental assets?
If an asset is no longer useful to your department but is still in working order it must be sent to surplus property. Complete a Property Change Form (PC 213) and send the form to Property Accounting Services (PAS), MC2393. You will be contacted to arrange pickup of the asset by the Surplus staff.
If the asset is no longer in working condition complete an Accountability Release Form (AR 212) and send it to PAS. PAS will review the form and, once you have been notified that the disposition has been approved, you should contact Business Services to arrange pick up and disposal of the asset.
2. What is the difference between cannibalized and scrapped / junked assets?
Assets are cannibalized when a “working part” is removed from one asset and used in another asset. Cannibalization is encouraged as a time and cost saving measure.
Assets are considered to be scrapped / junked when they are in non-working condition, are without use or value and have no useable parts that may be removed and cannibalized.
3. Can my department donate items directly to another university, individual, or city, state, or county agency?
No.
Any item no longer needed by a department must be declared surplus using a Property Change Form (PC 213) and sent to the surplus warehouse for redistribution into other FSU departments. If no other FSU department claims the asset, Property Accounting Services may choose to donate it to another state agency. Donations are coordinated thru Property Accounting Services and the outside agency. This process is initiated by a written request from the receiving agency using their letter head along with a printed name and signature of the individual receiving the asset.
4. What is the difference between a missing asset and a stolen asset?
A “missing” asset is one that cannot be located during a department’s annual physical inventory. A “stolen” asset is one that cannot be located after a break, robbery or other criminal activity has taken place.
Both types of assets require that the department fill out both an Accountability Release Form (AR 212) and a police report (including case number). Once these two reports have been completed, they must be sent to Property Accounting Services. A police report for a missing asset can be completed online at the FSU Police Department website.
Missing assets will remain on the department’s inventory for two full fiscal years while attempts are made to locate them. Stolen assets are immediately deleted from the department’s inventory, and the department is no longer required to look for them.
5. What is a "deployed" asset?
An asset sent from FSU to a location where the asset cannot or will not be recovered is considered deployed (e.g. a weather balloon). An asset that was not originally ordered for deployment needs prior approval from Property Accounting Services before it may be deployed. This asset will be permanently removed from the University’s inventory upon receipt and approval of the Accountability Release Form (AR 212).
6. What is the difference between a transfer using a Property Change Form and transfer done with an Accountability Release Form?
A Property Change Form (PC 213) is used to transfer equipment to surplus, from surplus, or to another FSU department. This form is used to transfer an item within the same department when the department’s fund code or location changes. Both the transferring and receiving sides of the form need to be signed even if the transfer is within the same department.
An Accountability Release Form (AR 212) is only used for transfers involving a surplus item no longer useful to FSU that is being transferred to another state agency in Florida.
7. Can I trade an item no longer needed for another asset?
Yes.
An asset may be traded for another asset when a purchase order and an Accountability Release Form (AR 212) (with box e - “Trade In” marked) are submitted simultaneously to Property Accounting Services (PAS). The form must be submitted and approved by PAS before the trade in occurs. No attempt to acquire the replacement asset from the vendor should be made until the purchase order has been approved by PAS.
The purchase order accompanying the AR 212 form should indicate the item is being traded and include a description of the asset and its inventory tag number as well as the dollar amount the vendor is allowing as a “trade in” allowance. If the trade in allowance amount is not stated on the purchase order, the department must obtain a letter from the vendor stating the dollar amount given.
An asset may be traded at any time for any type asset, provided the new asset meets the inventory requirement of being valued at over $1,000 (trade in amount received plus cash paid). Assets may not be traded for services or consumable items.
8. What is scrubbing a computer?
Computer “scrubbing”, also referred to as “data cleansing”, is cleaning the computer’s data or wiping the hard drive. It is not the same as deleting files. According to University policy OP-D-2-F, departmental property managers must ensure their computers have been properly scrubbed prior to their disposition. Detailed information on how to scrub a computer can be found on FSU’s security site.
9. Other than scrubbing, what additional steps are required to transfer a computer to surplus property?
Each computer or computer device must be on the Property Change Form (PC 213) along with the initials of the person who scrubbed it. Additionally, each computer must have a properly completed scrub sticker attached. This sticker should include information on the date the computer was scrubbed and the name of the person who scrubbed it. The verified-on date and initials do not have to be filled out unless a second person (warehouse personnel, auditor, other departmental personnel, etc.) checks the scrub status at a later date. Scrub stickers may be obtained from Property Accounting Services by contacting them at 644-9037 or 644-9757. Because assets acquired with the intention of deployment do not have a life expectancy of at least one year, they do not meet FSU’s capitalization requirements. Therefore, these assets should not be ordered in GL account 76xxxx and placed in inventory, but rather ordered as an expense using account code 74xxxx.
10. How do I surplus property that is not in inventory?
If the item being sent to surplus does not have an FSU bar code you must still use the Property Change Form (PC 213) to surplus it. Identify the asset by using the description and serial number (if available).
11. How do I surplus multiples of the same type of asset (e.g. chairs, desks, file cabinets, etc.)?
Surplus the assets using a Property Change Form (PC 213). Rather than listing each like item individually, however, just list all like items on one single line. However, if an item is on inventory and has an inventory tag number assigned to it, the asset must be listed individually on its own line.
12. As an FSU employee, may I attend surplus auctions and bid?
Yes. The auctions are open to the public, including FSU employees. For additional information about the surplus sales check out the surplus auctions page.
13. How do I tell what kind of condition a surplus asset is in?
The condition of each item listed is an estimate done by the warehouse property manager. There are four conditions: new, good, fair and poor (condition 1-4).
DISCLAIMER:The Controller’s Office does not warrant the working condition of items in the surplus inventory. It is the responsibility of the department representative to assess the working condition of the requested item(s) before transferring the item from Surplus to the department.
14. My department would like to acquire a surplus asset. How do I transfer surplus items to my budget?
Just complete a Property Change Form (PC 213) to transfer the asset(s). The department property manager or designated representative must then visit the warehouse to verify the condition of the items requested and to deliver the form (with an authorized signature).
15. What is the cutoff for acquiring surplus items for a department before a surplus sale takes place?
No items may be pulled from the warehouse for redistribution into the University 10 days before an auction is held.
16. How much does it cost to transfer a surplus asset to my department?
This transfer is free to departments.
17. How do I physically get a surplus asset to my department?
Property staff can perform the physical item move according to their daily schedules.
Are there other questions that need to be answered here? If so, let us know.
