HB545 Summary

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

• Perishable property may be sold immediately without notice if owner cannot be located; proceeds held for 6 months, then transferred to sheriff's office after deducting recovery and storage costs.

• Sheriff may sell or destroy unclaimed firearms after 6 months if owner does not claim them; firearms may only be sold to licensed gun dealers submitting highest sealed bid, with proceeds going to sheriff's office.

• Unclaimed non-firearm property must be sold at public auction to highest bidder after remaining unclaimed for 6 months, with notice published in newspaper weekly for 2 weeks or posted at courthouse and sheriff's website for at least 20 days.

• Property owners may claim recovered property anytime before sale by providing proof of ownership; all auction proceeds after expenses must be used solely for law enforcement purposes and are subject to audit by Examiners of Public Accounts.