Personal property · Ohio
the short answer
You have four years to sue for the recovery of your property or for someone taking or detaining it. Where the property was wrongfully taken, the clock does not start until the wrongdoer is discovered, so a thing that vanished years ago is not necessarily out of time. Ohio also lets you claim three times its value, but the attorney's fees come with a step you have to take first.
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
governing statute
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
penalty
Liquidated damages of whichever is greater, $200 or three times the value of the property. Where the property was worth under $5,000 you may also recover your costs and reasonable attorney's fees -- but only if you first served a written demand for payment by certified mail and gave the person thirty days to pay. No criminal conviction is required. (Ohio Rev. Code § 2307.61)
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
limit
4 years
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
Across the country. 2 of the 10 states written up answer this the same way as Ohio. The shortest is 2 years, as in Arizona; the longest is 4 years, as in Florida. Compare every state →
which court
Small claims division of the municipal or county court
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
small claims limit
$6,000
source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.
your situation
Everything above is the law as it reaches everyone in Ohio. What it means for you turns on facts only you have. Tell us what happened and we'll ask the same questions a lawyer would — about 90 seconds, free, and anonymous.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Written by an AI model, which can be wrong. Not a lawyer, and not a prediction about your case. Terms · Privacy
someone taking my property — state by state →other claims in this state →
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