(1) Every motor vehicle, vessel, firearm, or other personal property used or intended for use in recreational pursuits in violation of the provisions of articles 10 to 15 of this title is declared to be a public nuisance. Every such item shall be subject to seizure, confiscation, and forfeiture or destruction as provided in this section, unless the possession of said property is not unlawful and the owner of said property was not a party to the violation and would suffer undue hardship by the sale, confiscation, or destruction of the property.
Any personal property subject to seizure, confiscation, and forfeiture or destructionunder the provisions of this section, which is seized as a part of or incident to a criminal proceeding for violation of the provisions of articles 10 to 15 of this title and for which disposition is not provided by another statute of this state, shall be disposed of as provided in this section.
Any personal property, the possession of which is illegal and which in the opinion ofthe court having jurisdiction over the criminal proceeding is not properly the subject of sale, may be destroyed pursuant to a warrant for the destruction of personal property issued by the court and directed to the division. The court shall stay the execution of any such warrant during the period in which the property is used as evidence in any pending criminal or civil proceeding.
Except as otherwise provided in this section, the court may order any personal property sold by the division in the manner provided for sales on execution. The proceeds of the sale shall be applied as follows:
To the fees and costs of removal and sale;
To the payment of the state's costs on such action; and
The balance, if any, or any portion thereof not otherwise distributed pursuant to thisparagraph (c), to the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund. Instead of being deposited in the parks and outdoor recreation cash fund, the court may order that such balance or any portion thereof be transmitted as follows:
To the seizing agency, if the court finds that the proceeds can be used by such agency;
To any person who suffers bodily injury or property damage as a result of the actionwhich constitutes the violation, if said person petitions the court therefor.
(5) In lieu of ordering the sale or destruction of personal property pursuant to this section, the court may, if it finds that it can be used by the agency which seized it, order it delivered to the agency for such use.
Source: L. 84: Entire article added, p. 915, § 2, effective January 1, 1985.