Florida § 705.101 Definitions

Florida Statutes

§ 705.101 — Definitions

Florida § 705.101

TitleXL

Ch. 705LOST OR ABANDONED PROPERTY

This text of Florida § 705.101 (Definitions) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Fla. Stat. § 705.101 (2026).

Text

As used in this chapter:

(1)“Abandoned property” means all tangible personal property that does not have an identifiable owner and that has been disposed on public property in a wrecked, inoperative, or partially dismantled condition or has no apparent intrinsic value to the rightful owner. The term includes derelict vessels as defined in s. 823.11 and vessels declared a public nuisance pursuant to s. 327.73(1)(aa).

(2)“Law enforcement officer” means any person who is elected, appointed, or employed full time by any sheriff, any municipality, or the state or any political subdivision thereof; who is vested with authority to bear arms and make arrests; and whose primary responsibility is the prevention and detection of crime or the enforcement of the penal, criminal, traffic, or highway

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As used in this chapter:

(1) “Abandoned property” means all tangible personal property that does not have an identifiable owner and that has been disposed on public property in a wrecked, inoperative, or partially dismantled condition or has no apparent intrinsic value to the rightful owner. The term includes derelict vessels as defined in s. 823.11 and vessels declared a public nuisance pursuant to s. 327.73(1)(aa).

(2) “Law enforcement officer” means any person who is elected, appointed, or employed full time by any sheriff, any municipality, or the state or any political subdivision thereof; who is vested with authority to bear arms and make arrests; and whose primary responsibility is the prevention and detection of crime or the enforcement of the penal, criminal, traffic, or highway laws of the state. This definition includes all certified supervisory and command personnel whose duties include, in whole or in part, the supervision, training, guidance, and management responsibilities of full-time law enforcement officers or auxiliary law enforcement officers but does not include support personnel employed by the employing agency.

(3) “Local government” means the board of county commissioners of a county or the commission or council of any municipality in the county.

(4) “Lost property” means all tangible personal property which does not have an identifiable owner and which has been mislaid on public property, upon a public conveyance, on premises used at the time for business purposes, or in parks, places of amusement, public recreation areas, or other places open to the public in a substantially operable, functioning condition or which has an apparent intrinsic value to the rightful owner.

(5) “Public property” means lands and improvements owned by the Federal Government, the state, the county, or a municipality and includes sovereignty submerged lands located adjacent to the county or municipality, buildings, grounds, parks, playgrounds, streets, sidewalks, parkways, rights-of-way, and other similar property.

(6) “Unclaimed evidence” means any tangible personal property, including cash, not included within the definition of “contraband article,” as provided in s. 932.701(2), which was seized by a law enforcement agency, was intended for use in a criminal or quasi-criminal proceeding, and is retained by the law enforcement agency or the clerk of the county or circuit court for 60 days after the final disposition of the proceeding and to which no claim of ownership has been made.

Legislative History

s. 1, ch. 87-82; s. 15, ch. 89-268; s. 470, ch. 94-356; s. 70, ch. 99-248; s. 28, ch. 2000-197; s. 35, ch. 2002-46; s. 5, ch. 2004-39; s. 30, ch. 2004-344; s. 9, ch. 2006-309; s. 5, ch. 2014-143; s. 10, ch. 2022-142; s. 118, ch. 2023-8; s. 11, ch. 2025-147.