Oklahoma Asset Forfeiture

When the government seizes your property, it suddenly seems as though all of the rights you thought you had go directly out the window.

Throughout Oklahoma, there are numerous horror stories of hardworking citizens who have had their personal items taken away by law enforcement. However, when the government seizes your belongings, you still have legal rights. There is a way to recover your property.

What is Asset Forfeiture?

Asset forfeiture is the seizure of items, either money or personal property, by the state. This seizure can be either temporary or permanent, depending on your case and its outcome.

If the government seizes your personal belongings, it is important to seek out legal advice quickly. By working with an attorney early on, it will be easier to defend your rights and win back your property. Asset forfeiture has many strict deadlines throughout the process and not taking the appropriate steps in time could mean giving up your property indefinitely.

Exercising Your Rights and Recovering Your Possessions

One of the most important things you can do during the forfeiture process is to respond immediately to any notices that the government gives you. In many cases, the window for responding back or informing officials that you intend to fight in the court of law is relatively short, often 30 days. If you don’t file a claim in time, you may lose your privileges and the opportunity to get your items back.

When the government seizes cash property, a court is not obligated to appoint you an attorney if you cannot afford one. There are some laws that allow “claimants” to ask the court whether they can release a portion of the seized funds in order to pay for the legal costs associated with the claim. In a few cases, the court might cover attorney fees to a person whom the government seized the money from without any good cause.

Importance of an Asset Forfeiture Attorney

An attorney who is skilled in asset forfeiture will be able to help you file a claim and fight on your behalf.  You will have the best chance of getting your property back when you have an experienced attorney like Bruce Edge on your side. Bruce has been helping clients get their property back for years. Have questions? Give him and the team at The Edge Law Firm a call at (918) 582-6333 or fill out an online case review form today.

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