SB495 Summary

• Jackson County Sheriff must maintain permanent records of all abandoned and stolen personal property recovered, including descriptions, recovery dates, and identifying numbers, with records open to public inspection.

• Sheriff may sell perishable abandoned or stolen property immediately without notice after reasonable attempts to locate the owner; proceeds held for six months for owner claim, then net funds paid to sheriff's office after deducting recovery and storage costs.

• Sheriff may sell or destroy unclaimed firearms after six months of custody; firearms may only be sold to licensed gun dealers through sealed bid process on a cash basis, with proceeds going to sheriff's office for law enforcement purposes.

• Sheriff shall conduct public auctions for non-firearm abandoned or stolen property unclaimed for six months, with notice published in newspapers once weekly for two weeks or posted at courthouse for at least 20 days; auction proceeds after expenses go to sheriff's office for law enforcement.

• Property owners may claim their property at any time before sale by providing proof of ownership and paying reasonable recovery, maintenance, storage, and pro rata notice publication costs.