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Pawnshop restitution bill pulled after witnesses report victims often must repurchase stolen goods
Summary
Senate Bill 529, aiming to change pawnshop return and restitution rules for stolen property, drew several public witnesses who said the current affidavit process frequently fails and that people often repurchase their property; sponsor said he will redraft the measure and pulled the bill for amendment.
Senate Bill 529, introduced by Senator Clark, sought to modify how dealers and pawnshops return stolen property to rightful owners or provide restitution. Supporters and several witnesses described widespread problems with the current process, including victims being told to repurchase their own property and difficulty obtaining court-ordered returns.
Scott Finkbinder and community members described cases where victims had to pay to retrieve items such as jewelry or a vintage bicycle. Amanda Pennington recounted a bicycle she never got back after a thief sold it to a pawnshop and said that, despite a guilty plea, the court did not order the property returned.
Committee members and prosecutors noted an existing affidavit process for owners and a prior Supreme Court case that left pawnshops with a limited property interest; senators warned the draft language could unintentionally make it harder for owners to recover property and urged reworking the bill. Senator Clark agreed to amend the language and pulled SB 529 for further work; no vote was taken.
