Civil Forfeiture

South Florida Property Seizure - Cars - Boats - Cash

There are both Florida and federal civil forfeiture statutes that allow government law enforcement agencies to seize property alleged to have a connection with unlawful activity. For example, the Broward County Sheriff's Department might simply take your car away from you if it can plausibly allege that the car was purchased with illegal drug money, or if the vehicle was closely linked to criminal activity.

Contact Fort Lauderdale civil forfeiture attorney Randall Haas  immediately if you have had property seized by any law enforcement agency. Depending on whether a state, local, or federal agency seized the property, you have 15 to 30 days in which to challenge the seizure at a probable cause hearing, or to file a petition for the recovery of the seized property. He can represent your interests through all stages of your claim.

Examples of the kinds of property that are routinely taken from persons in civil forfeiture cases include:

• Motor vehicles of all kinds, from sports cars to commercial trucks
• Real estate, including primary residences, vacation homes, condominiums, and undeveloped land
• Cash and bank deposits
• Jewelry
• Boats or private planes allegedly used in drug smuggling or immigration violations, or alleged to have been purchased with drug distribution proceeds
• Computers or photography equipment allegedly used in child pornography or Internet fraud schemes

Property forfeiture cases are civil proceedings, not criminal cases, and the person whose property is seized does not need to be a defendant in a criminal case. In fact, the defendant in the forfeiture action is not the owner, but the property itself. All the government agency has to show is that there is a likely connection between the forfeited property and certain specific criminal activity.

In an action to recover the property, the owner can challenge the probable cause for the forfeiture, or try to recover some or all of the seized property in what's called a mitigation or remission case. Our Fort Lauderdale civil forfeiture law firm can also negotiate with the law enforcement agency for the return of the property, based on the strength of your claim.

Our experience with Florida and federal civil forfeiture cases can give you a substantial advantage in recovering your seized property. For further information about your options in a forfeited property case, contact the Law Offices of A. Randall Haas in Fort Lauderdale.