Frequently Asked Questions

Surplus property is property that is no longer needed or utilized and is owned by the University of Maryland, Baltimore. This web page is intended to assist departments with the proper procedures when disposing of capital asset surplus property. Capital asset property does not normally include items such as desks, tables, file cabinets, or office furniture in general, unless the item has a capital asset tag attached. Surplus property does not include buildings, land, or any improvements to land.

If you are not certain if an item is a capital asset, please contact the Surplus Property Officer, Melvin Tuck at surplusproperty@umaryland.edu.

Excess property refers to any University property that is to be disposed of, sold, traded in, taken with researcher, donated, lost, or stolen. All capital assets must be reported so General Accounting can remove the assets from the University’s inventory system.

A capital asset is equipment with a unit cost of $5,000 or greater.

Each School, Department, or Division is responsible for providing General Accounting with notification of deletions for the equipment inventory. The types of deletions which are acceptable as well as the requisite documentation are listed on the Excess Property Declaration/Capital Asset Deletion Form (EPD/CADF). The respective unit must complete an EPD/CADF via DocuSign within 30 days of the deletion. General Accounting will update the inventory based on the information provided by the department. Any equipment that contains data must be disposed of via the Media Disposal System in accordance with UMB Policy X-99.08(A) on Disposal of Media Containing Data and Financial Services Procedures on Capital Asset Management and Noncapital Assets.

The objectives are to streamline the process of the disposal of surplus property and avoid the cost of unnecessary purchases and storage; to maintain a speedy and cost-effective method for the removal of surplus property from the owning department's premises; and to ensure the proper disposal of equipment and that the controls to do so are dependable and accountable.

The owning department will need to complete an Excess Property Declaration/Capital Asset Deletion Form (EDP/CADF) via DocuSign.

Any electronic item owned or leased by the University that contains data or a hard drive (such as computers, cell phones, thumb drives, servers, etc.) that need to be disposed of must go through the Asset Disposal System. Please contact the appropriate authorized user in your department to dispose of these items.

Please reference the UMB Excess Property Declaration/Capital Asset Deletion Form DocuSign Instructions. Additionally, you can reference the resource: Excess Property Form to DocuSign Presentation. These PDFs can also be found on the Quick Links section of the Surplus Property page.

A recording to the Excess Property Form to DocuSign Training is linked in the presentation. It can also be accessed using this link.

The Excess Property Declaration/Capital Asset Deletion Form (EPD/CADF) has transitioned to DocuSign to improve efficiencies in the approval process.

The new process minimizes paper waste, scanning and emailing, and provides better organization for the approving parties. In addition, all digital signers will automatically receive a copy of the completed form for their records.

For more general information on DocuSign, visit Central Information Technology Service’s DocuSign page at: https://www.umaryland.edu/cits/services/docusign/.

Please make sure you are logged into your DocuSign account through the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Note: the University of Maryland Medical System has its own separate DocuSign domain.

Surplus property that is determined to be scrap will be removed by Environmental Services and disposed of in an environmentally safe manner. The owning department will be contacted by Environmental Services within five business days after receipt of the signed EPDF to schedule a pickup. An EPDF not possessing the appropriate authorized signatures will be returned to the owning department. Items listed on the EPDF cannot be removed until authorized signatures are provided. Because of environmental regulations, departments are not permitted to dispose of any property unless authorized by the Surplus Property Officer.

The Surplus Property Office has a minimal amount of storage space available. The storage space will be used for items that have the potential of being transferred to other University departments, sold, or donated. The Surplus Property Office will provide storage for this type of equipment on a case-by-case basis and only when sufficient storage space is available. 

Surplus property may be transferred to other University departments. The transfer of surplus equipment that is sensitive or a capital asset will require the owning department to prepare and submit a Capital Asset Change or Transfer Form (CACTF). The completed CACTF must be  forwarded to the Financial Services Quality Assurance Department, Saratoga Building, Room 02-131. Capital Equipment Transfer Form

Donations are made to qualified nonprofit organizations. Requests for donations will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Surplus property that is not transferred or sold will be available for donation. All inquiring nonprofit organizations must submit a written request for consideration on the organization's letterhead. The request must be sent to the University of Maryland, Baltimore Surplus Property Office, Attn: Melvin Tuck, 111 S Penn Street, Room B007, Baltimore, MD 21201.  When property becomes available, the Surplus Property Officer will contact the requesting organizations in the order and date the request was received. Before receiving donations from the University, the nonprofit organization must complete a University Certification Statement.

When capital asset equipment is transferred, sold, donated, or scrapped, the owning department must complete an Excess Property Declaration/Capital Asset Deletion Form (CADF) or Capital Equipment Transfer Form (CACTF) and forward it to: Financial Services Quality Assurance Department, Saratoga Building, Room 02-131.   

When appropriate and available, the University of Maryland, Baltimore will offer property for sale using the Procurement Services eBid Board at http://www.umaryland.edu/procurement/ebid-board/. 

The University also may list available property on GovDeals. GovDeals is an online auction website that offers government property for sale. Individuals interested in bidding on property that is available for sale on GovDeals must register with GovDeals as a buyer and bid accordingly. 

Please note: All property is sold as is. Bidders are cautioned to review the terms and conditions for purchasing University property for sale on GovDeals. To view available UMB surplus Property, click on the following link: http://www.govdeals.com/eas/advSearchResults.cfm?myseller=2047

Outstanding customer service is our goal and commitment to the University and the community.

The Surplus Property Officer, Melvin Tuck, is available to help you to understand the process. The Surplus Property Office is dedicated to achieving the most efficient and cost-effective method of disposal for surplus property. The opportunity to assist you with completing the necessary forms is very much appreciated and welcomed. Melvin Tuck may be reached at 410-706-6619 or via email.

Thank you for your cooperation and dedication in helping us help you.