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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>70554</law_id><section_number>19.2-386.5</section_number><catch_line>Release of seized property</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>19.2-386.36</reference><reference>19.2-386.4</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="19.2">Criminal Procedure</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="22.1">Enforcement of Forfeitures</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>At any time prior to the filing of an information, the attorney for the Commonwealth in the county or city in which the property has been seized pursuant to Chapter 22.2 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Seizure of property used in connection with or derived from terrorism" href="/19.2-386.15/">19.2-386.15</a> et seq.) or other provision under the Code may, in his discretion, upon the payment of costs incident to the <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the seized property, return the seized property to an owner or <span class="dictionary">lien</span> holder, without requiring that the owner or <span class="dictionary">lien</span> holder post <span class="dictionary">bond</span> as provided in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Bond to secure possession" href="/19.2-386.6/">19.2-386.6</a>, if he believes the property is properly exempt from forfeiture pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Exemptions" href="/19.2-386.8/">19.2-386.8</a>.
		At any time after the filing of an answer or upon <span class="dictionary">default</span>, on <span class="dictionary">motion</span> of the attorney for the Commonwealth or a vulnerable adult, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may <span class="dictionary">order</span> the return of property to the vulnerable adult upon a showing that the property is the subject of a violation of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Financial exploitation of vulnerable adults; penalty" href="/18.2-178.1/">18.2-178.1</a> or traceable to such a violation and is properly exempt from forfeiture pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Exemptions" href="/19.2-386.8/">19.2-386.8</a>.
		Any property seized and returned pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Seizure of moneys or other assets of value in connection with or derived from financial exploitation of vulnerable adults" href="/19.2-386.36/">19.2-386.36</a> shall not require the payment of costs or the posting of a <span class="dictionary">bond</span>.</p></section></text><history>1989, c. 690; 2002, cc. 588, 623; 2004, c. 995; 2012, cc. 283, 756; 2025, c. 160.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
