A University asset which is declared surplus may be disposed of by the University in accordance with guidelines and procedures for its disposition promulgated from time to time by the Vice-President Finance and Administration. Procurement Services coordinates the Surplus Asset Disposal program to assist with the disposal of the University’s personal property assets which are declared surplus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a surplus Asset?
A surplus asset is any asset (excluding real estate) bought with University funds (i.e. operating, capital, research, ancillary, and special purpose) which is no longer of use to a University department or faculty. This includes items purchased with grant and research funding.
Why is this program available?
The intention of the program is to maximize the assets usefulness to the University by transferring surplus goods within the University. Disposal of surplus is handled in a fair manner that takes into consideration financial accountability, environmental awareness, safety and risk management, legislative requirements, increased asset life cycle by redeployment of assets within the university, and disposal in a timely manner.
Can a University employee acquire surplus assets for personal or home use?
No. The program is intended to extend the life of University assets by transferring items no longer required by one unit to
another unit who can benefit from its use.
How can a department or faculty participate in this program?
The Internal community is required to complete a Declaration of Surplus Form (PDF) itemizing the assets they want to deem as surplus and forward the form to Procurement Services, for review and processing.
The Declaration of Surplus forms are collected by Procurement Services and posted quarterly on the Surplus For Transfer website for a minimum of 10 days. Departments interested in any of the items listed must send a written request to Procurement Services. Items are available on a "first come first serve basis".
Where are the items stored prior to being advertised?
The declaring department is responsible for storing the items that are to be advertised on the website. Procurement Services does not collect or store items on behalf of departments or Faculties.
Who declares the asset as surplus?
A University department shall advise Procurement Services of any property that is no longer of use to the department after which, the Director, Procurement Services, as the designate of the Vice-President Finance and Administration, shall declare the item as surplus.
How do surplus asset items get transferred?
The receiving department is responsible for arranging the transfer of surplus items and any costs related to the transfer is the receiving departments responsibility, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
What happens if the asset item is not claimed?
If the item is not claimed by another department or Faculty it is deemed a Surplus Asset and Procurement Services will select one of four options for disposal of the item; Auction, Donation, Trade-in or Disposal.
- Auction: Depending on the surplus item Procurement Services will arrange for the item to be collected and the item will be auctioned off to an external person or group. All monies collected from the sale of the item(s) will be returned to the originating department (minus any auction fees).
- Donation: Procurement Services will arrange for the item to be collected and the item will be donated to a University sanctioned non-profit organization. If an item has no market value, but is of value to a non-profit organization, it will be declared surplus and donated on an "as is, where is" basis. A receipt will be issued to transfer the responsibility of ownership.
- Trade-in: A trade-in may be considered where the market value is realized and the new asset to be purchased is priced competitively. Equipment to be traded-in for the purchase of new equipment will be handled by Procurement Services at the time of requesting quotes from prospective vendors.
- Disposal: Assets that are not in working condition, or considered obsolete, can be disposed of by CSBO following their environmental disposal and recycling guidelines. The originating department must complete a Service Request Form online at http://www.yorku.ca/csbo/requestform.html to request disposal.
Are there any commodities where additional action needs to take place prior to Procurement Services involvement?
The following commodities need additional action:
- Computer hardware: Department or Faculty needs to contact their local information technology/software group or University Information Technology (UIT) prior to completing a Declaration of Surplus form. Their UIT group will determine if the computer equipment can be cascaded for extended use or if it can declared as surplus.
- Research Assets: Department or Faculty needs to contact the Executive Officer, VP Research prior to proposing an item for surplus.
- Calstone Office Furniture: The Furniture Coordinator, CSBO should be notified prior to proposing these items for surplus.
