The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
§ 1101. Finder to give notice
A person who finds money or goods, to the value of $3.00 or more, or takes up a stray
beast, the owner of which is not known, shall, within six days thereafter, make two
notices, describing such money, goods, or beast, with the natural or artificial marks,
with the time and place of finding or taking up the same, and post them in two public
places in the town in which such property was found.
§ 1102. Penalty for destroying notices
A person who willfully takes down or destroys such a notice within 60 days from the
time of posting the same shall be fined $7.00, unless the owner has appeared and claimed
such property.
§ 1103. Publication of notice in newspaper
If the value of such property exceeds $10.00, the person finding it shall immediately
cause a copy of the notice to be published three weeks successively in some newspaper
circulating in such town.
§ 1104. Recording copy of notice
If the owner of such property does not appear and claim it within 20 days from the
date of such notice, the person so finding it shall cause a copy of the notice to
be recorded in the office of the clerk of such town.
§ 1105. Sale of property; disposition of proceeds
If the owner of the property does not appear and prove his title within 90 days from
the time of posting the first notice, the person finding the property may sell it
at public auction. The avails of the sale, after paying the expenses of keeping the
property, and of the proceedings relating to the same, shall be paid to the town treasurer,
at the time of paying the avails of the sale.
§ 1106. Accounting for proceeds
The account of the expenses shall be examined and allowed by a district judge of the
county, and deposited with such treasurer, at the time of paying the avails of the
sale. (Amended 1965, No. 194, § 10, operative Feb. 1, 1967; 1973, No. 249 (Adj. Sess.), § 90, eff. April 9, 1974.)
§ 1107. Owner may have property before sale
If, previous to the sale, the owner appears and proves his or her title to the property,
he or she shall be entitled to the same on paying the expenses of keeping, and of
the proceedings required by this chapter.
§ 1108. Failure of finder to comply with chapter
If a person finds money or goods, or takes up a stray beast and does not thus advertise
or perform the duties required of him or her by this chapter, he or she shall not
receive pay for keeping, or for other proceedings relating to such property, and shall
forfeit to the use of the town in which the same is found, the value of such money,
goods, or stray beast, to be recovered in an action on this statute.
§ 1109. Found beast may be worked
A person who takes up a stray beast may put such beast to reasonable labor, and the
magistrate, in allowing the account of the expenses, shall allow the owner a reasonable
compensation therefor.
§ 1110. Liability of owner upon death of beast
If the beast so taken up dies, the owner thereof shall be liable to pay to the person
who took it up a reasonable compensation for the costs and expenses of keeping and
other proceedings relating to such beast, unless its death was occasioned by the carelessness
or negligence of such person.