A.  Except as otherwise provided in this Section, any authorized inspector, in the discharge of his duties, if he has reason to believe that a lot or any commodity subject to a marketing order is not in compliance with the requirements of such marketing order or agreement may hold such lot for a reasonable period of time sufficient for an authorized inspection whether such lot complies with such marketing requirements, but in any event not to exceed twenty-four hours in the case of perishables or seventy-two hours in the case of nonperishables.

B.  Following inspection, such inspector may affix to any lot which is determined to be in noncompliance, an official notice which warns that the lot is held and states the reasons why it is held.  It is unlawful for any person, except an authorized inspector or enforcing officer, to detach, alter, deface, or destroy any such official notice so affixed to any such lot, or to remove or dispose of such lot in any manner or under conditions other than as prescribed in such notice of noncompliance except upon written permission of an authorized enforcing officer.

C.  The commissioner, or the authorized person by whom such lot is being held, shall serve the person in possession of the lot with a notice of noncompliance.  Such notice shall be served in person or by mail to the last known address of such person that is in possession.  The person in possession shall notify the owner of the lot, or every other person that has an interest in it, of the serving of such notice of noncompliance.

D.  The notice of noncompliance shall include all of the following:

(1)  A description of the lot.

(2)  The place where and the reasons for which the lot is held.

(3)  A citation of the applicable marketing order or agreement and any section of it upon which the notice of noncompliance is based.

E.  The owner of the lot shall have in the case of a perishable commodity not to exceed forty-eight hours and in the case of a nonperishable commodity not to exceed seventy-two hours from the time of serving of such notice of noncompliance for reconditioning or for the correction of the deficiencies which are noted in the notice of noncompliance.  If such lot is reconditioned or the deficiencies are corrected, the enforcing officer shall remove the warning tags and release the lot for marketing or may, with the consent of the owner of such lot, divert the lot to other lawful uses or destroy it.

F.  If the owner of the lot fails or refuses to give such consent, or if the lot has not been reconditioned or the deficiencies otherwise corrected so as to bring it into compliance within the time which is specified in the notice, the enforcing officer shall proceed as provided in Subsection I.

G.  The enforcing officer may file a verified petition in any appropriate district court of this state requesting permission to divert such lot to any other available lawful use or to destroy such lot.  Such verified petition shall show all of the following:

(1)  The condition of the lot.

(2)  That the lot is situated within the territorial jurisdiction of the court in which the petition is being filed.

(3)  That the lot is held and that the notice of noncompliance has been served as provided in Subsection E.

(4)  That the lot has not been reconditioned as required.

(5)  The name and address of the owner and the person in possession of the lot.

(6)  That the owner has refused permission to divert or to destroy the lot.

H.(1)  Upon the filing of the verified petition, the court may issue an order to show cause returnable in five days after service upon the owner why the lot shall not be reconditioned or the deficiencies corrected or why the lot shall not be diverted to other lawful uses or destroyed.

(2)  The owner of the lot may, prior to the date when the order to show cause is returnable, either recondition or correct the deficiencies in the lot so as to bring it into compliance, or may file at or before the hearing on the order an answer with the court stating why the lot should not be reconditioned or the deficiencies corrected so as to bring it into compliance, or showing why it should not be diverted to other lawful uses or destroyed.

I.  If after the five day period the owner of the lot has failed to comply, the court may enter judgment as to the proper disposal of such lot, other than the lot being released into the regular channels of trade.

J.  Disposal of any lot or portion of any lot, whether such disposal be by arrangement with an enforcement officer or by court order, does not waive any of the penalty provisions of this Part.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 500, §1; Acts 2009, No. 24, §8J, eff. June 12, 2009.