What happens to deceased personal effects left in apartment?

Normally, when a person dies, some person or persons will inherit the possessions of the deceased person. This is easier to figure out if there is a will. If there is no will, the courts have to rule on the matter. In some cases, there is no surviving relative who might plausibly inherit, and property (if any) will be claimed by the state. Abandoned possessions can always be turned in to the police, who can hold them until someone can prove that they own them. However, if the abandoned possessions appear to be of little value, they may just be thrown out.