Property and Inventory Management – Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I transfer items to Surplus Property?
- What happens to items that are transferred to Surplus Property?
- What is a University of Alabama Property Tag?
- I have a question about the Property and Inventory Management Policies and/or Procedures who can I talk to?
- I recently purchased an item over $5000.00 and it came directly to my department without a property tag on it what do I do?
- How do I go about disposing of obsolete, useless, broken, and/or unwanted equipment?
- My department no longer needs an item, can I purchase it for personal use?
- If my department no longer has a use for an item but another department does how do I go about transferring it to them?
- My department has some items that it wishes to sell but doesn’t want it to be transferred to Surplus, how can we go about selling it and receiving the funds made from it?
- What are your hours?
- If an item has been stolen what steps should I take to get it removed from my department’s inventory?
- My office recently purchased new equipment and traded in our old equipment for credit. What information do you need to remove the old equipment from our inventory and add the new equipment?
- When should I expect to get my annual physical inventory and what is the deadline to have it completed and returned?
- Where are you located?
How Do I transfer items to Surplus Property?
Departments wishing to transfer excess or unwanted equipment to Surplus Property may do so by preparing a Property and Inventory Management Transaction Form and check the transfer box for all items costing more than $5,000.00. The department will need to submit a work order for the physical move of these items. Only items listed on the form will be moved by Logistical Support. Equipment will not be moved to Surplus Property by Logistical Support prior to receipt of the completed form(s). Upon receipt of the appropriate form and relocation of the equipment to Surplus, the Property and Inventory Management Department will transfer the equipment.
Please note that when equipment is transferred to Surplus Property, the transferring department automatically relinquishes all control over that piece of equipment. All funds realized from the sale of surplus items accrue to the appropriate Financial Affairs revenue account. Equipment that is in the Surplus Property area, however, is available to all departments alike on a first-come, first-serve basis.
What happens to items that are transferred to Surplus Property?
Once items are transferred to Surplus, most items are available for use by any department on campus – free of charge. This allows Surplus to reutilize property, rather than spend state funds for the same items, saves money and unnecessary spending. Once items have been included in a public sale they are no longer free of charge for departmental use.
What is a University of Alabama Property Tag?
A property tag is an adhesive strip with “The University of Alabama” and “Property Number” written on it. It also contains a bar code and unique number assigned to each specific University asset.
I have a question about the Property and Inventory Management Policies and/or Procedures who can I talk to?
All questions pertaining to Property and Inventory Management policies and procedures can be answered by the Property and Inventory Management Staff at 348-7501 or by emailing property@fa.ua.edu.
I recently purchased an item over $5000.00 and it came directly to my department without a property tag on it what do I do?
If the item is over $5,000.00 and does not have a property tag on it, please contact the Property and Inventory Management Staff at 348-7501 or by emailing property@fa.ua.edu.
How do I go about disposing of obsolete, useless, broken, and/or unwanted equipment?
As a state-funded institution, we are prohibited from throwing away, discarding, or giving away assets to any particular individual or entity. Therefore, when items are no longer useful to a department, they should be sent to Surplus. A Transaction Form must be filled out with the transfer box checked and sent to Property and Inventory Management at property@fa.ua.edu. A work order will need to be submitted for the Logistical Support team to pick up the item(s).
My department no longer needs an item; can I purchase it for personal use?
The only way an item that was purchased with State funds can be sold is to offer it to the general public. This is done through a public sale.
If my department no longer has a use for an item but another department does how do I go about transferring it to them?
To transfer an item from one department to another, a Transaction Form must be filed out with the transfer box checked and sent to the receiving department for signature of acceptance. The receiving department should then forward the form to Property and Inventory Management Office at property@fa.ua.edu.
My department has some items that it wishes to sell but doesn’t want it to be transferred to Surplus, how can we go about selling it and receiving the funds made from it?
The Property and Inventory Management Office is always willing to work with and assist a department that wishes to sell assets, but does not wish for these assets to be physically moved to the surplus warehouse. We understand that some departments may no longer have a use for some assets, but the assets in question still have worth. You may call our office at 348-7501, and we can discuss options and make arrangements to have these items sold.
We are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Open viewing hours are currently available between 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
If an item has been stolen what steps should I take to get it removed from my department’s inventory?
When there is theft of property, the University Police should always be called and an Incident Report should be completed. A Transaction Form should also be filled out with the stolen box checked and a copy of the Incident Report should be attached. The paperwork should then be sent to the Property and Inventory Management Office at property@fa.ua.edu.
My office recently purchased new equipment and traded in our old equipment for credit. What information do you need to remove the old equipment from our inventory and add the new equipment?
The Purchase Order for the new equipment should reference the UA property number of the asset being traded in. A Transaction Form should be filled out for the old equipment and the Purchase Order for the new equipment should be referenced so that our office can properly record the addition of the new equipment and the disposal of the old equipment. The form should be sent to the Property and Inventory Management Office at property@fa.ua.edu.
When should I expect to get my annual physical inventory and what is the deadline to have it completed and returned?
The annual physical inventory is now conducted by the Property and Inventory Management staff, and is no longer completed via the departments. However, departments are still responsible for assets assigned to them and Property and Inventory Management may request assistance of the department in locating items or accessing building or rooms. Inventory begins the Tuesday after the MLK holiday with completion expected by May.
The Property and Inventory Management office is located in the Ancillary Services Building at 1115 14th Street, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. Available surplus property is located in room 124, the former campus mail space.