Federal and California forfeiture laws allow the government to take your personal property and assets the government believes to be connected to, or derived from, criminal activity.

This means that the police can take your house, car, boat, jewelry and your cash, without reimbursing you for your loss, even if you haven’t been charged with a crime.

California Forfeiture and Seizure Law

California Penal Code Section 186 is called the “California Control of Profits of Organized Crime Act.” Its objective is to deter crime by taking the profit out of it. Therefore, the government works to take anything that might have been illegally used or obtained.

Federal Forfeiture and Seizure Law

There are over 100 categories contained in federal forfeiture laws.  These areas include those dealing with drug crimes, tax evasion, money laundering, forgery and pornography.  Federal law provides for Civil Forfeiture in Section 981 of Title 18 and Criminal Forfeiture in Section 982 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code.