bona vacantia

noun plural

bo·​na va·​can·​tia

ˈbō-nə-vā-ˈkan-shē-ə

: goods that are unclaimed and without an apparent owner

it was trash, in the nature of bona vacantia, which the defendants had abandoned

—United States v. Calise, 217 F. Supp. 705 (1962)

Word History

Etymology

Latin, ownerless goods