Legal Question in Business Law in California

i own a pawn shop in California. someone ended up selling stolen items to me. the original owner found out about it. The local police aressted the thief and he was prosecuted. do i have to give the stolen items back to the original owner? i paid 9k for it.


Asked on 3/15/23, 12:16 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys

Edward Hoffman Law Offices of Edward A. Hoffman

Yes, unless there are unusual circumstance involved. You can sue the thief for the amount of your loss, but that doesn't mean he will be able to pay if you win. It's also possible that the criminal court ordered him to pay you restitution. Here again, though, being ordered to pay doesn't imply the ability to pay.

Good luck.

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Answered on 3/15/23, 12:40 pm

Yes you do have to return them. I'm surprised the police didn't confiscate them.

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Answered on 3/16/23, 2:26 pm


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