Pecan Thefts Reported

The Tift County Sheriff’s Office has responded to several calls this week concerning the theft of pecans as Hurricane Michael has decimated the crop and destroyed many of the trees.  Georgia Law, Code Section 44-12-241 and 44-12-242, states that “it shall be unlawful for any person, without the permission of the owner of pecan trees grown on private property, to pick or otherwise remove any pecans from the limbs or branches of the trees or to cause pecans to fall from the trees.”

Tift County Sheriff Gene Scarbrough wants the public to be aware that any person found to be stealing pecans can be cited for a misdemeanor during the harvesting season which began October 1 and ends on December 31

The law further states that “when pecan trees are grown on private property and the branches of the trees extend over public roads, streets or highway rights of way, any pecans falling from any such pecan trees onto the public rights of way shall be the property of the owner of the pecan trees until the end of the harvesting season; and it shall be unlawful for any person to remove the pecans from any public rights of way during the harvesting season without the permission of the owner of the trees.”

Any pecans remaining on public roads, streets or highway rights of way during any portion of the calendar year except the harvesting season shall be deemed to be abandoned by the owner of the pecans; and it shall not be unlawful for any person to remove such pecans from such public rights of way according to O.C.G.A. 44-12-240.