ORS 604.056: Seizure of hides or livestock; procedure; investigation; disposition; impoundment of sales proceeds.

(1) The State Department of Agriculture may detain, seize or embargo hides or livestock in carrying out and enforcing the provisions of ORS 561.144, 577.512, 599.205, 599.269, 599.273, 599.610, 603.015, 603.034, 603.075 to 603.095, 603.992, 604.005 to 604.071, 604.640, 604.650 and 604.992 relating to the ownership or right to possession of livestock. Recognizing that the provisions of ORS 561.605 to 561.620 relating to the departmental procedures for detaining, seizing or embargoing commodities are not readily applicable to livestock, the following shall apply whenever the department detains, seizes or embargoes hides or livestock under the provisions of ORS 561.144, 577.512, 599.205, 599.269, 599.273, 599.610, 603.015, 603.034, 603.075 to 603.095, 603.992, 604.005 to 604.071, 604.640, 604.650 and 604.992: (a) The department shall issue its written notice of detention, seizure or embargo to the person in possession of the hides or livestock, directing them to be held subject to further order of the department and any detention, seizure or embargo shall be subject to the contested case provisions of ORS chapter 183. The issuance of a notice of detention, seizure or embargo to a livestock carrier shall relieve such carrier from liability for any loss or damage resulting from the detention, seizure or embargo. (b) If the department cannot determine from its investigation who is the owner or person entitled to possession of hides or livestock, it may handle and dispose of the hides and livestock in the same manner as provided for the handling and disposition of estray animals under ORS chapter 607. In the event the livestock is determined by an assistant state veterinarian or deputy state veterinarian to be diseased, disabled or dying so as to be unsalable, the department may order its immediate condemnation in lieu of handling and disposition under ORS chapter 607, and any salvage value recovered by the department from the sale of carcasses or hides shall be disposed of in the same manner as impounded sales proceeds of an unknown owner under subsection (2) of this section. (c) During an investigation to determine the owner or person entitled to possession of hides or livestock, the department may authorize the hides or livestock to be moved and retained in another location, but the hides or livestock shall not be moved therefrom without a written order issued by the department and then shall only be moved or handled in accordance with the terms of such order. (d) If the hides or livestock are brand inspected at a livestock auction market, slaughtering establishment or other sales facility where the hides or livestock are destined for sale, the department may permit the sale of the hides or livestock and impound the proceeds of the sale in lieu of detaining, seizing or embargoing the hides or livestock. After the department impounds the sales proceeds, the department shall issue a written notice of impoundment to the seller of the hides or livestock, directing that the sales proceeds remaining after the seller has deducted sales charges be retained by the seller subject to further order of the department for up to 15 days, at which time the sales proceeds shall be remitted by the seller to the department. The sales proceeds received by the department from the seller are not public funds of the state but rather are held by the department in trust for the person determined to be the owner or entitled to possession of the hides or livestock sold. (2) If the department impounds sales proceeds under subsection (1)(d) of this section, the department shall give written notice of the impoundment to all known claimants to the sales proceeds, hides or livestock at the last-known addresses thereof, and set forth that the sales proceeds shall be subject to proof of claim for a period of 60 days from the date of the notice of impoundment, during which the claimants may submit their proofs of claim to the department. Within 30 days after expiration of the time within which proofs of claim may be submitted, the department shall review the data submitted, investigate the claims and render a written notice of determination to the persons having submitted proofs of claim. The determination of the department shall be a final order and subject to judicial review under ORS 183.484, and if there is more than one claimant, payment of sales proceeds may not be made until the expiration of the time within which judicial review may be had. Any impounded sales proceeds that cannot be paid to persons under this section within one year of impoundment cease to be trust funds and become part of the state’s public funds continuously appropriated to the department for carrying out the provisions of ORS 561.144, 577.512, 599.205, 599.269, 599.273, 599.610, 603.015, 603.034, 603.075 to 603.095, 603.992, 604.005 to 604.071, 604.640, 604.650 and 604.992. [1981 c.248 §11; 2003 c.604 §107; 2009 c.336 §16]