815 ILCS 398/45

(815 ILCS 398/45)

Sec. 45. Hold order.

(a) For the purposes of this Section, "hold order" means a written legal instrument issued to a resale dealer by a law enforcement officer commissioned by the appropriate law enforcement official of the municipality or county that licenses and regulates the resale dealer ordering the resale dealer to retain physical possession of pledged goods in the possession of the resale dealer or property purchased by and in the possession of the resale dealer and not to return, sell, or otherwise dispose of such property on the basis that the property is believed to be misappropriated goods.

(b) Upon receipt of written notice from the appropriate law enforcement official indicating that property in the possession of the resale dealer and subject to a hold order is needed for the purpose of furthering a criminal investigation and prosecution, the resale dealer shall release the property to the custody of the law enforcement official for such purpose and the officer shall provide a written acknowledgment that the property has been released to the official. The release of the property to the custody of the appropriate law enforcement official shall not be considered a waiver or release of the resale dealer's property rights or interest in the property. Upon completion of the criminal investigation, the property shall be returned to the resale dealer; except that, if the appropriate law enforcement official has not completed the criminal investigation within 120 days after the property's release, the official shall immediately return the property to the resale dealer or obtain and furnish to the resale dealer a warrant for the continued custody of the property.

The resale dealer shall not release or dispose of the property except pursuant to a court order or the expiration of the holding period of the hold order, including all extensions.

In cases where criminal charges have been filed and the property may be needed as evidence, the prosecuting attorney shall notify the resale dealer in writing. The notice shall contain the case number, the style of the case, and a description of the property. The resale dealer shall hold such property until receiving notice of the disposition of the case from the prosecuting attorney. The prosecuting attorney shall notify the resale dealer and claimant in writing within 15 days after the disposition of the case. When such other disposition is ordered, the court shall additionally order the person from whom the resale dealer acquired the property to pay restitution to the resale dealer in the amount that the resale dealer paid for the property together with reasonable attorney's fees and costs.

When any person is found to be the owner of stolen property that has been sold to resale dealer, the property shall be returned to the owner without the payment of the money paid by the resale dealer or any costs or charges of any kind that the resale dealer may have placed on the property.

(Source: P.A. 98-1096, eff. 1-1-15.)