Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 705.102 (2025)

Reporting lost or abandoned property.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session

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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.

History.—s. 2, ch. 87-82; s. 4, ch. 92-79; s. 790, ch. 97-102; s. 105, ch. 2019-167.

Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 705.102

M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd

§705.102(4)LARCAPPROP REFUSE DELIVER LOST ABAND PROP LT 0M · 2nd

§705.102(4)LARCAPPROP REFUSE DEL ABANDON PROP LT 0 2ND OFFF · 3rd

§705.102(4)LARCAPPROP REFUSE DELIV ABANDON PROP 0-0M · 1st

§705.102(4)LARCAPPROP REFUSE DELIV ABANDON PROP K-0KF · 2nd

§705.102(4)LARCAPPROP REFUSE DELIV ABAND PROP 0-KF · 3rd

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 5 cases, 1989–2020 · leading case: Darrell L. Jackson v. Eric L. Capraun, 534 F. App'x 854 (11th Cir. 2013).

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Darrell L. Jackson v. Eric L. Capraun, 534 F. App'x 854 (11th Cir. 2013). “” F.S.A. § 705.102(3). 3 .Although the district court found that Jackson did not allege a Fourteenth Amendment claim against Capraun, we will assume, given Jackson's pro se status, that he did, in fact, assert such a claim in his third amended complaint, given that he alleged…”

In Re: Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases-Report 2018-02., 256 So. 3d 1316 (Fla. 2018). · cites it 4× “According to § 705.102, Fla. Stat., whenever any person finds lost or abandoned property, such person must report the description and location of the property to a law enforcement officer.”

State v. Tarbox, 541 So. 2d 1350 (Fla. 3d DCA 1989). · cites it 2× “Accordingly, it follows that (a) the defendant was not illegally detained when he stated that he had found the VCR in some bushes behind his apartment complex, and (b) this statement gave Detective Reed probable cause to seize the property from the defendant as lost or abandoned…”

Cruz v. State, 554 So. 2d 586 (Fla. 3d DCA 1989). · cites it 2× “§ 705.102, Fla.Stat. (1987), there is utterly no evidence in this record upon which the 'defendant could rely to show that he reasonably believed that the stolen automobile herein [which the defendant was dismantling when caught by the police] was an abandoned automobile.”

In Re: Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases - Report 2019-09 (Fla. 2020). · cites it 2× “According to § 705.102, Fla. Stat., whenever any person finds lost or abandoned property, such person must report the description and location of the property to a law enforcement officer.”

— 705.102(3) — 1 case

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