Myers Depot Metal Detectors

*** Are YOU A THIEF? Florida law 705.102 ***

DaviDs

DaviDs

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Recently I found a big ticket item that had a serial #, so I went about to find the lawful way to acquire the item so I can resell. This has brought me to the following Florida law regulation which states Any person finds any lost or abandoned property, such person shall report the description and location of the property to a law enforcement officer ... or may be charged with theft.

Obviously concerned, I have began to take steps with my attorney to fully cooperate & be a law abiding citizen. However, I wonder how many of you are aware of this? Afterall, metal detector manufacturers like Garrett, Whites, & ML frequently talk about finding jewelry and money but seemingly lack ethical responsibility to notify the hobbiest that the act of keeping such items and not notifying law enforcement is a criminal act.

What are your thoughts ?!



Here is the Florida law....

705.102. Reporting lost or abandoned property

(1) Whenever any person finds any lost or abandoned property, such person shall report the description and location of the property to a law enforcement officer.

(2) The law enforcement officer taking the report shall ascertain whether the person reporting the property wishes to make a claim to it if the rightful owner cannot be identified or located. If the person does wish to make such claim, he or she shall deposit with the law enforcement agency a reasonable sum sufficient to cover the agency's cost for transportation, storage, and publication of notice. This sum shall be reimbursed to the finder by the rightful owner should he or she identify and reclaim the property.

(3) It is unlawful for any person who finds any lost or abandoned property to appropriate the same to his or her own use or to refuse to deliver the same when required.

(4) Any person who unlawfully appropriates such lost or abandoned property to his or her own use or refuses to deliver such property when required commits theft as defined in s. 812.014, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

CREDIT(S)

Laws 1987, c. 87-82, § 2. Amended by Laws 1992, c. 92-79, § 4, eff. Oct. 1, 1992; Laws 1997, c. 97-102, § 790, eff. July 1, 1997.
 

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Seems to me I should return and or report everything I found last week.
That ain't gonna happen.
 
Ohh well.. if you spit on a sidewalk or chase a seagul in massachusetts you can get a $500 fine, if anybody was wondering lol
 
(1) obey the law of the land...
(2) if interpreted in my favor, there is a concern over melt value vs. logo value.... selling it is the way to make money, but I need to do so legally.
(3) What steps have any of you taken to legally acquire an item for the purpose of resale. After all, in this day and age, it is easy to track the path of a sale.....and in the case of Florida law, the person who found the item could be responsible and charged with theft
 
So every person swinging a MD in the past 40 years is a thief and should be arrested? Talk about overcrowding the prisons!! WOW!
I think the PO-PO have more important things to keep them busy.



Chris W.
 
I just say s**** you officers and put it in my pocket. :heybud: lol. Though i havent found any jewelry of value yet. I say the same thing when i get my Christmas tree out of the national forest :gettree: (jk)
 
DnD said:
(1) obey the law of the land...
(2) if interpreted in my favor, there is a concern over melt value vs. logo value
(3) What steps have any of you taken to legally acquire an item for the purpose of resale. After all, in this day and age, it is easy to track the path of a sale.....and in the case of Florida law, the person who found the item could be responsible and charged with theft
Click to expand...



You're thinking way too much... you want to turn in everything you find of value go for it... its not getting you any brownie points :lol:
 
That is the same in most states. But if you continue to read other laws on lost or mislaid property it will also tell you that the owner forfeits all right to said property if they do not take all the steps to retrieve said property they give said property up. then it is the finders property.
 
I think there is a difference between finding and discovering. If you discovered an item that was intentionally hidden then you found an item.:yes:
 
This will open a can o worms. In a post a few years back I brought up this regulation when a member found a honker of a ring that was easy to trace back to the owner. There were two camps with the majority siding on the pirate side and the mention of this law was not well received. If an item is found and has identifying marks which enables you to locate the owner, the law states you should do so. An example would be my college ring which has my full name and SS# inside.

I think most stuff found on Florida beaches is marked ARA:laughing:
 
And what happens to the item when you turn it in to the law enforcement? With most items there is a very slim chance they will find the owner... someone is going to end up taking it home, and it won't be you.
 
I had a cop pull up on me today asking me if I foubd anything he seemed pretty interested I dont think he had any intention on confiscating are finds or putting us in jail
 
I have to agree with the state of Florida, ya'll are a bunch of filthy thieves! Outta be ashamed of yourselves.:no: :D
 
Walker614 said:
So every person swinging a MD in the past 40 years is a thief and should be arrested? Talk about overcrowding the prisons!! WOW!
I think the PO-PO have more important things to keep them busy.



Chris W.
Click to expand...

Until you piss one off, or one is having a bad day and you're the first person they see. :jail:
 
All states I think have a law where you must make an effort to find the owner of a lost object. Yeah I am to shout out did you lose this and see 200 hands go up :laughing:
 
yes, I have heard of that and I think everyone in Florida needs to quit hunting RIGHT NOW because you may go to jail and be charged with theft,,,,:lol:
 
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