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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>77690</law_id><section_number>18.2-115</section_number><catch_line>Fraudulent conversion or removal of property subject to lien or title to which is in another</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="18.2">Crimes and Offenses Generally</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="5">Crimes Against Property</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Embezzlement and Fraudulent Conversions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Whenever any person is in <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of any personal property, including motor vehicles or farm products, in any capacity, the title or ownership of which he has agreed in writing shall be or remain in another, or on which he has given a <span class="dictionary">lien</span>, and such person so in <span class="dictionary">possession</span> shall fraudulently sell, pledge, pawn or remove such property from the premises where it has been agreed that it shall remain, and refuse to disclose the location thereof, or otherwise dispose of the property or fraudulently remove the same from the Commonwealth, without the written consent of the owner or lienor or the person in whom the title is, or, if such writing be a deed of trust, without the written consent of the trustee or beneficiary in such deed of trust, he shall be deemed guilty of the <span class="dictionary">larceny</span> thereof.
		In any <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> hereunder, the <span class="dictionary">fact</span> that such person after demand therefor by the lienholder or person in whom the title or ownership of the property is, or his agent, shall fail or refuse to disclose to such claimant or his agent the location of the property, or to surrender the same, shall be prima facie <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of the violation of the provisions of this section. In the case of farm products, failure to pay the proceeds of the sale of the farm products to the secured <span class="dictionary">party</span>, lienholder or person in whom the title or ownership of the property is, or his agent, within ten days after the sale or other <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> of the farm products unless otherwise agreed by the lender and borrower in the obligation of indebtedness, note or other <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of the debt shall be prima facie <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of a violation of the provisions of this section. The <span class="dictionary">venue</span> of <span class="dictionary">prosecutions</span> against persons fraudulently removing any such property, including motor vehicles, from the Commonwealth shall be the county or city in which such property or motor vehicle was purchased or in which the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> last had a legal residence.
		This section shall not be construed to interfere with the rights of any innocent third <span class="dictionary">party</span> purchasing such property, unless such writing shall be docketed or recorded as provided by <span class="dictionary">law</span>.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 18.1-116; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1986, c. 484.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
