Alan C. Posted September 30, 2013 Posted September 30, 2013 The Institute for Justice fights back against the federal government’s abusive civil forfeiture tactics For more than 30 years, Terry Dehko has successfully run a grocery store in the Detroit suburb of Fraser, Michigan, with his daughter Sandy. In January 2013, without warning, the federal government used civil forfeiture to seize all of the money from the Dehkos’ store bank account (more than $35,000) even though they’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. Their American Dream is now a nightmare. Federal civil forfeiture law features an appalling lack of due process: It empowers the government to seize private property from Americans without ever charging, let alone convicting, them of a crime. Perversely, the government then pockets the proceeds while providing no prompt way to get a court to review the seizure.
aerocabin Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 It took me two years to have my civil claim heard in the courts, and I won a judgment of nearly $10,000. Three years later, I haven't seen a dime of it. If the government has a claim they don't need a trial, they just empty the bank account. The feds in Canada actually wiped out one of my business accounts without notice for back taxes, luckily there wasn't much in there at the time, but an event like that could be devastating for a small business. It's a risky decision if they expect to get paid in full to cripple the business like that.
Recommended Posts