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HF 3454

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 05/20/2022 11:10am

KEY: stricken = removed, old language.
underscored = added, new language.
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A bill for an act
relating to judiciary; permitting complaints in certain forfeiture matters to be served
by certified mail; permitting statements of claim in certain forfeiture matters to be
served pursuant to the Rules of Conciliation Court Procedure; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2021 Supplement, sections 169A.63, subdivision 8; 609.5314, subdivision
3.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 169A.63, subdivision 8, is
amended to read:


Subd. 8.

Administrative forfeiture procedure.

(a) A motor vehicle used to commit a
designated offense or used in conduct resulting in a designated license revocation is subject
to administrative forfeiture under this subdivision.

(b) Within 60 days from when a motor vehicle is seized under subdivision 2, or within
a reasonable time after seizure, the appropriate agency shall serve the driver or operator of
the vehicle with a notice of the seizure and intent to forfeit the vehicle. Additionally, when
a motor vehicle is seized under subdivision 2, or within a reasonable time after that, all
persons known to have an ownership, possessory, or security interest in the vehicle must
be notified of the seizure and the intent to forfeit the vehicle. For those vehicles required to
be registered under chapter 168, the notification to a person known to have a security interest
in the vehicle is required only if the vehicle is registered under chapter 168 and the interest
is listed on the vehicle's title. Upon motion by the appropriate agency or prosecuting
authority, a court may extend the time period for sending notice for a period not to exceed
90 days for good cause shown. Notice mailed by certified mail to the address shown in
Department of Public Safety records is sufficient notice to the registered owner of the
vehicle. For motor vehicles not required to be registered under chapter 168, notice mailed
by certified mail to the address shown in the applicable filing or registration for the vehicle
is sufficient notice to a person known to have an ownership, possessory, or security interest
in the vehicle. Otherwise, notice may be given in the manner provided by law for service
of a summons in a civil action.

(c) The notice must be in writing and contain:

(1) a description of the vehicle seized;

(2) the date of seizure; and

(3) notice of the right to obtain judicial review of the forfeiture and of the procedure for
obtaining that judicial review, printed in English. This requirement does not preclude the
appropriate agency from printing the notice in other languages in addition to English.

Substantially the following language must appear conspicuously in the notice:

"WARNING: If you were the person arrested when the property was seized, you will
automatically lose the above-described property and the right to be heard in court if you do
not file a lawsuit and serve the prosecuting authority within 60 days. You may file your
lawsuit in conciliation court if the property is worth $15,000 or less; otherwise, you must
file in district court. You do not have to pay a filing fee for your lawsuit.

WARNING: If you have an ownership interest in the above-described property and were
not the person arrested when the property was seized, you will automatically lose the
above-described property and the right to be heard in court if you do not notify the
prosecuting authority of your interest in writing within 60 days."

(d) If notice is not sent in accordance with paragraph (b), and no time extension is granted
or the extension period has expired, the appropriate agency shall return the vehicle to the
owner. An agency's return of property due to lack of proper notice does not restrict the
agency's authority to commence a forfeiture proceeding at a later time.

(e) Within 60 days following service of a notice of seizure and forfeiture under this
subdivision, a claimant may file a demand for a judicial determination of the forfeiture. The
demand must be in the form of a civil complaint and must be filed with the court
administrator in the county in which the seizure occurred, together with proof of service of
a copy of the complaint on the prosecuting authority having jurisdiction over the forfeiture.
The claimant may serve the complaint by certified mail or any means permitted by court
rules. If the value of the seized property is $15,000 or less, the claimant may file an action
in conciliation court for recovery of the seized vehicle. A copy of the conciliation court
statement of claim deleted text begin mustdeleted text end new text begin maynew text end be served personally or deleted text begin by maildeleted text end new text begin as permitted by the Rules of
Conciliation Court Procedure
new text end on the prosecuting authority having jurisdiction over the
forfeiture within 60 days following service of the notice of seizure and forfeiture under this
subdivision. The claimant does not have to pay the court filing fee.

No responsive pleading is required of the prosecuting authority and no court fees may
be charged for the prosecuting authority's appearance in the matter. The prosecuting authority
may appear for the appropriate agency. Pleadings, filings, and methods of service are
governed by the Rules of Civil Procedurenew text begin and, where applicable, by the Rules of Conciliation
Court Procedure
new text end .

(f) The complaint must be captioned in the name of the claimant as plaintiff and the
seized vehicle as defendant, and must state with specificity the grounds on which the claimant
alleges the vehicle was improperly seized, the claimant's interest in the vehicle seized, and
any affirmative defenses the claimant may have. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary,
an action for the return of a vehicle seized under this section may not be maintained by or
on behalf of any person who has been served with a notice of seizure and forfeiture unless
the person has complied with this subdivision.

(g) If the claimant makes a timely demand for a judicial determination under this
subdivision, the forfeiture proceedings must be conducted as provided under subdivision
9.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2021 Supplement, section 609.5314, subdivision 3, is amended
to read:


Subd. 3.

Judicial determination.

(a) Within 60 days following service of a notice of
seizure and forfeiture under this section, a claimant may file a demand for a judicial
determination of the forfeiture. The demand must be in the form of a civil complaint and
must be filed with the court administrator in the county in which the seizure occurred,
together with proof of service of a copy of the complaint on the prosecuting authority for
that county. The claimant may serve the complaint on the prosecuting authority by new text begin certified
mail or
new text end any means permitted by court rules. If the value of the seized property is $15,000
or less, the claimant may file an action in conciliation court for recovery of the seized
property. new text begin A copy of the conciliation court statement of claim may be served personally or
as permitted by the Rules of Conciliation Court Procedure on the prosecuting authority
having jurisdiction over the forfeiture within 60 days following service of the notice of
seizure and forfeiture under this subdivision.
new text end The claimant does not have to pay the court
filing fee. No responsive pleading is required of the prosecuting authority and no court fees
may be charged for the prosecuting authority's appearance in the matter. The district court
administrator shall schedule the hearing as soon as practicable after, and in any event no
later than 90 days following, the conclusion of the criminal prosecution. The proceedings
are governed by the Rules of Civil Procedurenew text begin and, where applicable, by the Rules of
Conciliation Court Procedure
new text end .

(b) The complaint must be captioned in the name of the claimant as plaintiff and the
seized property as defendant, and must state with specificity the grounds on which the
claimant alleges the property was improperly seized and the plaintiff's interest in the property
seized. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, an action for the return of property seized
under this section may not be maintained by or on behalf of any person who has been served
with a notice of seizure and forfeiture unless the person has complied with this subdivision.

(c) If the claimant makes a timely demand for judicial determination under this
subdivision, the appropriate agency must conduct the forfeiture under section 609.531,
subdivision 6a. The limitations and defenses set forth in section 609.5311, subdivision 3,
apply to the judicial determination.

(d) If a demand for judicial determination of an administrative forfeiture is filed under
this subdivision and the court orders the return of the seized property, the court may order
sanctions under section 549.211. If the court orders payment of these costs, they must be
paid from forfeited money or proceeds from the sale of forfeited property from the appropriate
law enforcement and prosecuting agencies in the same proportion as they would be distributed
under section 609.5315, subdivision 5.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end