What is the ruling regarding selling numerous pledged items when the owners are unknown and cannot be located?

Primary text

If a person possesses many pledged items whose owners or their heirs are unknown, and one despairs of finding them, the ruling is that the items shall be sold, and the proceeds used to satisfy the debt owed to the pledgee. The surplus from the sale must be given away as charity. If the rightful owners are later discovered, they are given the choice between accepting the merit of the charity done on their behalf or the pledgee compensating them for the value. This position is held by Abdullah ibn Ahmad, based on his father's view, and is supported by Abu al-Harith's account of Ahmad concerning long-held pledges where the owner is despaired of finding.