---
title: O.C.G.A. § 10-1-357. Contesting identification or ownership of regulated metal property; action to recover property.
collection: code
id: 10-1-357
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 10-1-357 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/10-1-357
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/10-1-357.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/10-1-357/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t10-(v8)-2024-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=1992b47e_0#page=169
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: COMMERCE AND TRADE / SELLING AND OTHER TRADE PRACTICES / SECONDARY METALS RECYCLERS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 10-1-357. Contesting identification or ownership of regulated metal property; action to recover property.

(a) If the secondary metals recycler contests the identification or ownership of the regulated metal property, the party other than the secondary metals recycler claiming ownership of any regulated metal property in the possession of a secondary metals recycler may, provided that a timely report of the theft of the regulated metal property was made to the proper authorities, bring an action in the superior or state court of the county in which the secondary metals recycler is located. The petition for such action shall include a description of the means of identification of the regulated metal property utilized by the petitioner to determine ownership of the regulated metal property in the possession of the secondary metals recycler.

(b) When a lawful owner recovers stolen regulated metal property from a secondary metals recycler who has complied with the provisions of this article, and the seller or deliverer is convicted of theft by taking, theft by conversion, a violation of this article, theft by receiving stolen property, or criminal damage to property in the first degree, the court shall order the defendant to make full restitution, including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, court costs, and other expenses to the secondary metals recycler or lawful owner, as appropriate.

## History

Code 1981, § 10-1-354, enacted by Ga. L. 1992, p. 2452, § 1; Ga. L. 2007, p. 650, § 1.1/SB 203; Code 1981, § 10-1-357, as redesignated by Ga. L. 2012, p. 112, § 1-1/HB 872.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2012, p. 112, § 1/HB 872, effective July 1, 2012, redesignated former Code Section 10-1-357 as present Code Section 10-1-361.

Ga. L. 2012, p. 112, § 4-1(a)/HB 872, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that the amendment of this Code section shall apply to all offenses committed on or after July 1, 2012.

## Law Reviews

For article on the 2012 amendment of this Code section, see 29 Georgia St. U.L. Rev. 238 (2012).