Disposing of Surplus Property
Instructions for Surplus Property
The first step in disposing of surplus items through Terrapin Trader is to complete the Terrapin Trader Property Release Form and obtain the department head's signature. The release form authorizes the Terrapin Trader to act on behalf of the owning department to dispose of their surplus equipment.
After completing the release form, call 301-405-5267 to arrange for pickup/dropoff. You will receive a Terrapin Trader number specific to your pick-up/drop-off request. This number should be included on all forms related to this pick-up/drop-off.
The Terrapin Trader Surplus Property Release number is the identification number/tracking number associated with the surplus items released to the Trader on this form. The Release number and item number (identifying a specific item) will be referenced on the monthly account statement when compensation is transferred to the owning department.
Please email a copy of all forms to terptrader@umd.edu or fax copies to 301-314-7947 or 301-314-9255.
When the pickup is made, have the driver sign the original form(s), then make copies for your records and give the original form(s) to the driver. Copies should also be provided to the owning department’s inventory coordinator and department financial administrator.
Pricing & Sales
Pricing Surplus Property
The Terrapin Trader will determine the price of surplus property. The pricing process is most efficient when ample background information is provided for the surplus property.
Site Sales and Bids
Items that the Manager of Terrapin Trader determines should be sold through a bid process are photographed and placed on the GovDeals auction site for bid. Items may remain on the owning department’s premises or, if easily moved, they will be staged at the Terrapin Trader.
Proceeds from the Sale of Surplus Property
Net proceeds from the sale of surplus property, established in accordance with the department compensation scale, are transferred to originating departments. The purpose of the revenue is to provide an incentive for originating departments to use the Terrapin service and to help cover costs of administering the program. Credit will appear on the monthly account statement for the KFS account number referenced on the Trader form under subcode 3772 Reimbursable Contractual Services.
Special Items Surplus
The Terrapin Trader now charges for the disposal of TVs and monitors at a cost of $0.45 per lb. This charge will be billed to the KFS number referenced on the Terrapin Trader Surplus Property Release form. A receipt for the disposal charges will be emailed or faxed by the Terrapin Trader to the department contact referenced on the surplus form.
All UMD Designated Non-Capital Assets (DNCA) acquired by Terrapin Trader will be decommissioned for surplus sale or disposal and have their hard drives wiped and/or destroyed. All data cleansing processes are in compliance with federal and state statutes associated with confidential information, such as the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and University software licensing agreements.
Terrapin Trader staff audit all working computers to verify that software and data files have been removed and then all hard drives are destroyed for PC’s and Apple Mac products have their data cleansed from device prior to resale. For more information on how to use the ServiceNow Decommission process please see the links below. Please contact our Terrapin Trader team for any questions on this process at terptrader@umd.edu.
ServiceNow DNCA Links:
- ServiceNow: Getting Started with Hardware Asset Management (HAM)
- ServiceNow: Decommission Hardware Asset Instructions (DNCA)
- ServiceNow: Hardware Asset Workspace Home Page
Service Fees:
- Special Handling Fees for data cleansing are $100 per unit.
- Hard Drive Destruction fees have not been established as of this update.
For More information on the DNCA Process and Guidelines please click on the below links:
DNCA Guidance (updated February 2024)
DNCA Cell Phone Job Aid (updated November 2023)
DNCA Purchasing and Receiving Job Aid (updated February 2023)
DNCA Inventory Management Job Aid (updated February 2023)
DNCA Frequently Asked Questions
An inventory template and video Q&A session are also available upon request. Please email
dncacompliance@umd.edu with questions or to request additional resources.
The Surplus Property Cleaning Certification form must be completed and accompany all laboratory equipment and any equipment that may have contained or been used with dangerous or hazardous material. The form is to be signed by an individual who has direct knowledge of all reasonable efforts to clean the equipment.