HB427 Alabama 2020 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jeff SorrellsRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2020

Title

Geneva Co., sheriff authorized to sell certain abandoned, unclaimed, or stolen property, and firearms, notice, record keeping requirement, distribution of funds for law enforcement purposes

Summary

The bill lets the Geneva County sheriff sell or destroy abandoned, stolen, or unclaimed property and firearms, with required records, notice, and use of sale proceeds for sheriff's office needs.

What This Bill Does

The bill requires the sheriff to keep permanent public records for all abandoned and stolen property and firearms, including descriptions, recovery dates, identifying numbers, and recovery locations, and to store them securely. It allows selling perishable property without notice if the owner cannot be located, with sale proceeds held for six months for the owner to claim; if unclaimed, the money goes to the sheriff's office. Firearms not claimed after 12 months may be sold to licensed gun dealers or destroyed, with sales to dealers who hold an active Geneva County license and with proceeds paid to the sheriff's office. Every six months, the sheriff must auction all other unclaimed property, with notice; owners can claim before sale by proving ownership and paying costs, and sale proceeds after expenses go to the Geneva County general fund to support sheriff vehicles and maintenance.

Who It Affects

• Owners or rightful owners of abandoned, stolen, or unclaimed items in Geneva County, who may claim their property before sale by providing proof of ownership and paying recovery and storage costs.
• Residents and taxpayers of Geneva County, who benefit from transparent disposal processes and the use of sale proceeds for sheriff's office vehicle purchases and maintenance.
• Licensed gun dealers in Geneva County (with at least one year of active licensing), who may participate in firearm sales under the bill's sale procedures.
• Geneva County Sheriff's Office, which would be responsible for record-keeping, storage, sales, auctions, and management of sale proceeds.

Key Provisions

• The sheriff must maintain a permanent public record for all abandoned and stolen property and firearms, including description, recovery date, identifying numbers, and recovery location.
• Perishable property may be sold without notice if the owner cannot be located, with sale proceeds held for six months for the owner to claim, less recovery, storage, and sale costs; unclaimed funds go to the Sheriff of Geneva County.
• Firearms must have a separate permanent record; unclaimed firearms after 12 months may be sold to licensed gun dealers or destroyed; sales are to dealers with at least one year of active licensing, and proceeds go to the Sheriff’s Office.
• Non-firearm abandoned or stolen property must be auctioned at least every six months with public notice; owners can claim before sale by proving ownership and paying costs; proceeds after expenses go to the Geneva County general fund for sheriff vehicle purchases and maintenance.
• The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Geneva County