1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to crime prevention; eliminating requirement 
  1.3             to hold DWI-related vehicle forfeiture proceeding at 
  1.4             same time as implied consent hearing; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.1217, subdivision 
  1.6             7a. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.1217, 
  1.9   subdivision 7a, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 7a.  [ADMINISTRATIVE FORFEITURE PROCEDURE.] (a) A 
  1.11  motor vehicle used to commit a designated offense or used in 
  1.12  conduct resulting in a designated license revocation is subject 
  1.13  to administrative forfeiture under this subdivision. 
  1.14     (b) When a motor vehicle is seized under subdivision 2, the 
  1.15  appropriate agency shall serve the driver or operator of the 
  1.16  vehicle with a notice of the seizure and intent to forfeit the 
  1.17  vehicle.  Additionally, when a motor vehicle is seized under 
  1.18  subdivision 2, or within a reasonable time after that, all 
  1.19  persons known to have an ownership or possessory interest in the 
  1.20  vehicle must be notified of the seizure and the intent to 
  1.21  forfeit the vehicle.  Notice mailed by certified mail to the 
  1.22  address shown in department of public safety records is 
  1.23  sufficient notice to the registered owner of the vehicle.  
  1.24  Otherwise, notice may be given in the manner provided by law for 
  1.25  service of a summons in a civil action. 
  1.26     (c) The notice must be in writing and contain:  
  2.1      (1) a description of the vehicle seized; 
  2.2      (2) the date of seizure; and 
  2.3      (3) notice of the right to obtain judicial review of the 
  2.4   forfeiture and of the procedure for obtaining that judicial 
  2.5   review, printed in English, Hmong, and Spanish.  Substantially 
  2.6   the following language must appear conspicuously:  "IF YOU DO 
  2.7   NOT DEMAND JUDICIAL REVIEW EXACTLY AS PRESCRIBED IN MINNESOTA 
  2.8   STATUTES, SECTION 169.1217, SUBDIVISION 7a, YOU LOSE THE RIGHT 
  2.9   TO A JUDICIAL DETERMINATION OF THIS FORFEITURE AND YOU LOSE ANY 
  2.10  RIGHT YOU MAY HAVE TO THE ABOVE DESCRIBED PROPERTY.  YOU MAY NOT 
  2.11  HAVE TO PAY THE FILING FEE FOR THE DEMAND IF DETERMINED YOU ARE 
  2.12  UNABLE TO AFFORD THE FEE.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THE FILING FEE 
  2.13  IF THE PROPERTY IS WORTH LESS THAN $500 AND YOU FILE YOUR CLAIM 
  2.14  IN CONCILIATION COURT." 
  2.15     (d) Within 30 days following service of a notice of seizure 
  2.16  and forfeiture under this subdivision, a claimant may file a 
  2.17  demand for a judicial determination of the forfeiture.  The 
  2.18  demand must be in the form of a civil complaint and must be 
  2.19  filed with the court administrator in the county in which the 
  2.20  seizure occurred, together with proof of service of a copy of 
  2.21  the complaint on the prosecuting authority having jurisdiction 
  2.22  over the forfeiture, and the standard filing fee for civil 
  2.23  actions unless the petitioner has the right to sue in forma 
  2.24  pauperis under section 563.01.  If the value of the seized 
  2.25  property is less than $500, the claimant may file an action in 
  2.26  conciliation court for recovery of the seized vehicle without 
  2.27  paying the conciliation court filing fee.  No responsive 
  2.28  pleading is required of the prosecuting authority and no court 
  2.29  fees may be charged for the prosecuting authority's appearance 
  2.30  in the matter.  Except as provided in this section, judicial 
  2.31  reviews and hearings are governed by section 169.123, 
  2.32  subdivisions 5c and 6, and ~~shall~~ at the option of the 
  2.33  prosecuting authority, may take place at the same time as any 
  2.34  judicial review of the person's license revocation under section 
  2.35  169.123.  The proceedings may be combined with any hearing on a 
  2.36  petition filed under section 169.123, subdivision 5c, and are 
  3.1   governed by the rules of civil procedure.  
  3.2      (e) The complaint must be captioned in the name of the 
  3.3   claimant as plaintiff and the seized vehicle as defendant, and 
  3.4   must state with specificity the grounds on which the claimant 
  3.5   alleges the vehicle was improperly seized and the plaintiff's 
  3.6   interest in the vehicle seized.  Notwithstanding any law to the 
  3.7   contrary, an action for the return of a vehicle seized under 
  3.8   this section may not be maintained by or on behalf of any person 
  3.9   who has been served with a notice of seizure and forfeiture 
  3.10  unless the person has complied with this subdivision. 
  3.11     (f) If the claimant makes a timely demand for a judicial 
  3.12  determination under this subdivision, the appropriate agency 
  3.13  must conduct the forfeiture under subdivision 8. 
  3.14     (g) If a demand for judicial determination of an 
  3.15  administrative forfeiture is filed under this subdivision and 
  3.16  the court orders the return of the seized vehicle, the court 
  3.17  shall order that filing fees be reimbursed to the person who 
  3.18  filed the demand.  In addition, the court may order the payment 
  3.19  of reasonable costs, expenses, and attorney fees under section 
  3.20  549.21, subdivision 2. 
  3.21     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.22     Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.