The law of salvage finds its origins in the Roman practice of "negotiorum gestio", which dictated that one who preserved or improved upon the property of another was owed compensation from the owner, even if the service was not requested by the latter. The law did not apply to maritime regulations, but were the basis for following ordinances, such as the Marine Ordinance of Trani, which stated that a "finder" was to be rewarded, whether the owner claimed the goods or not. The laws have evolved since "negotiorum gestio", and today, in the United States, a salvor who voluntarily brings the goods back into port may legally lay claim to them, or deliver them to a marshal, in return for a reward.