§ 3831 — Report of theft; recovery of unclaimed vessel, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle

(a) An enforcement officer, sheriff, or constable who learns of the theft of a vessel, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle not since recovered, or of the recovery of a vessel, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle whose theft or conversion the enforcement officer, sheriff, or constable knows or has reason to believe has been reported to the Commissioner, shall immediately report the theft or recovery to the Commissioner.
(b) An owner or a lienholder may report the theft of a vessel, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle, or its conversion if a crime, to the Commissioner, but the Commissioner may disregard the report of a conversion unless a warrant has been issued for the arrest of an individual charged with the conversion. An individual who has reported the theft or conversion of a vessel, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle shall, immediately after learning of its recovery, report the recovery to the Commissioner.
(c) An operator of a place of business for garaging, repairing, parking, or storing vessels, snowmobiles, or all-terrain vehicles for the public, in which a vessel, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle remains unclaimed for a period of 30 days, shall, within five days after the expiration of that period, report the vessel, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle as unclaimed, to the Commissioner. A vessel, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle left by its owner whose name and address are known to the operator or the operator’s employee is not considered unclaimed. An individual who fails to report a vessel, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle as unclaimed in accordance with this subsection forfeits all claims and liens for its garaging, parking, or storing and shall be fined not more than $25.00 for each day the individual’s failure to report continues. (Added 1987, No. 152 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2001, No. 107 (Adj. Sess.), § 23; amended 2023, No. 85 (Adj. Sess.), § 323, eff. July 1, 2024.)