CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.





                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

    576-100AXA-38                                 Bill No. HB 1317

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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 4                                                                

 5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

 6

 7

 8

 9

10                                                                

11  The Committee on Criminal Justice Appropriations offered the

12  following:

13

14         Amendment (with title amendment) 

15  Remove from the bill:  Everything after the enacting clause

16

17  and insert in lieu thereof:

18         Section 1.  Subsection (3) of section 812.15, Florida

19  Statutes, is amended to read:

20         812.15  Unauthorized reception of cable television

21  services; penalties.--

22         (3)(a)  Any person who willfully violates this section

23  shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree,

24  punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

25         (b)  Any person who willfully and for purposes of

26  direct or indirect commercial advantage violates this section

27  shall be guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as

28  provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

29         (c)  Any person who, without authorization from a cable

30  system, possesses equipment, knowing that such equipment may

31  be primarily used or designed to receive communications

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

    576-100AXA-38                                 Bill No. HB 1317

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  services offered by that cable system, commits a misdemeanor

 2  of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or

 3  s. 775.083.

 4         (d)  Any person who places an advertisement in a

 5  printed publication, knowing, or under circumstances where one

 6  reasonably should know, that the purpose of the advertisement

 7  is to promote the sale of equipment prohibited under paragraph

 8  (c), commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as

 9  provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

10         Section 2.  Section 812.155, Florida Statutes, is

11  amended to read:

12         812.155  Hiring, leasing, or obtaining personal

13  property or equipment with the intent to defraud; failing to

14  return hired or leased personal property or equipment; rules

15  of evidence.--

16         (1)  OBTAINING BY TRICK, FALSE REPRESENTATION,

17  ETC.--Whoever, with the intent to defraud the owner or any

18  person lawfully possessing any personal property or equipment,

19  obtains the custody of such personal property or equipment by

20  trick, deceit, or fraudulent or willful false representation

21  shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree,

22  punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, unless the

23  value of the personal property or equipment is of a value of

24  $300 or more; in that event the violation constitutes a felony

25  of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s.

26  775.083, or s. 775.084.

27         (2)  HIRING OR LEASING WITH THE INTENT TO

28  DEFRAUD.--Whoever, with intent to defraud the owner or any

29  person lawfully possessing any personal property or equipment

30  of the rental thereof, hires or leases said personal property

31  or equipment from such owner or such owner's agents or any

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

    576-100AXA-38                                 Bill No. HB 1317

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  person in lawful possession thereof shall, upon conviction, be

 2  guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as

 3  provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, unless the value of the

 4  personal property or equipment is of a value of $300 or more;

 5  in that event the violation constitutes a felony of the third

 6  degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or

 7  s. 775.084.

 8         (3)  FAILURE TO REDELIVER HIRED OR LEASED PERSONAL

 9  PROPERTY.--Whoever, after hiring or leasing any personal

10  property or equipment under an agreement to redeliver the same

11  to the person letting such personal property or equipment or

12  his or her agent at the termination of the period for which it

13  was let, shall, without the consent of such person or persons

14  and with the intent to defraud, abandon or willfully refuse to

15  redeliver such personal property or equipment as agreed,

16  shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor of the

17  second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.

18  775.083, unless the value of the personal property or

19  equipment is of a value of $300 or more; in that event the

20  violation constitutes a felony of the third degree, punishable

21  as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

22         (4)  EVIDENCE OF FRAUDULENT INTENT.--

23         (a)  In prosecutions under this section, obtaining

24  fraudulent intent may be inferred from proof that the property

25  or equipment under was obtained by false pretenses; by

26  absconding without payment or offering to pay any outstanding

27  balance; or by surreptitiously removing or attempting to

28  remove the property or equipment from the county, without the

29  express written consent of the lessor is prima facie evidence

30  of fraudulent intent.

31         (b)  In a prosecution under subsection (3), failure to

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

    576-100AXA-38                                 Bill No. HB 1317

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  redeliver the property or equipment upon demand is prima facie

 2  evidence of fraudulent intent may be inferred from proof of

 3  the failure to make payment or redeliver upon demand made

 4  either in person or by certified mail.  This inference may be

 5  made only when there is no dispute as to the amount owed.

 6         (c)  In a prosecution under subsection (3), failure to

 7  pay any amount due under the agreement upon demand is prima

 8  facie evidence of fraudulent intent.  Amounts due under a

 9  rental agreement include unpaid rental for the time period

10  during which the property or equipment was not returned and

11  include the cost of repairing or replacing the property or

12  equipment if it has been damaged, whichever is less.

13         (5)  DEMAND FOR RETURN.--Demand for return of overdue

14  property or equipment and for payment of amounts due may be

15  made in person, by hand delivery, or by certified mail, return

16  receipt requested, addressed to the last known address of the

17  lessee.

18         (6)  NOTICE REQUIRED.--As a prerequisite to prosecution

19  under this section, the following statement must be contained

20  in the agreement under which the owner or person lawfully

21  possessing the property or equipment has relinquished its

22  custody or in an addendum to that agreement and it must be

23  initialed by the person hiring or leasing the rental property

24  or equipment:

25         Failure to return rental property or equipment

26         upon expiration of the rental period and

27         failure to pay all amounts due (including costs

28         for damage to the property or equipment) are

29         prima facie evidence of intent to defraud,

30         punishable in accordance with section 812.155,

31         Florida Statutes.

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

    576-100AXA-38                                 Bill No. HB 1317

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1

 2         (7)(5)  EXCLUSION OF RENTAL-PURCHASE AGREEMENTS.--This

 3  section does not apply to personal property or equipment that

 4  is the subject of a rental-purchase agreement that permits the

 5  lessee to acquire ownership of the personal property or

 6  equipment.

 7         Section 3.  This act shall take effect October 1 of the

 8  year in which enacted.

 9

10

11  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

12  And the title is amended as follows:

13  remove from the title of the bill:  the entire title

14

15  and insert in lieu thereof:

16                  A bill to be entitled

17         An act relating to offenses involving personal

18         property or equipment; amending s. 812.15,

19         F.S.; prohibiting the possession or

20         advertisement for sale of certain equipment

21         designed or used to receive cable system

22         communications under specified circumstances;

23         providing penalties; amending s. 812.155, F.S.;

24         prescribing acts that constitute prima facie

25         evidence of intent to defraud; providing

26         authorized means for demand for return;

27         requiring notice on rental agreements;

28         providing penalties; providing an effective

29         date.

30

31

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