Q: Who do I pay the money to to get my car back. I’m trying to see what I have to do. I’m lost! My car got seized

A: In Tennessee if you have to pay anything to have your vehicle returned

in a forfeiture procedure it will be to the seizing law enforcement

agency for the settlement and the administrative costs are paid

to the clerk of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Highway Safety.

Customarily the attorneys for the DMVHS will negotiate what is

considered to be a "buy back" amount based on the offense and the value the vehicle. If you hire an experienced forfeiture attorney he or she

could possibly find there is no justification for the seizure and litigate the matter before an administrative judge. If you visit my website you will see

I have experience in forfeiture work and I would be glad to offer you

a free consultation. My contact number is on my website.

A: I've had clients go through the process, and sometimes it is far more difficult than you would realize. One client parked his car at the pool at his neighborhood on a Friday night at 7:00 pm. knowing that there would be a ton of cars there the next day. If I remember, he was low on gas. The police contract with a tow yard to tow and keep the car. They will not release the car until the police give authorization. Over a period of 3 weeks, he called every department that he knew about and even had the police come to his house. He also called the City Attorney's office. No authorization was given, and the tow yard ran the bill up on a daily basis. Finally, he called the Chief of Police, and the matter was resolved; however the tow storage bill was $600. The police would do nothing about it, because they considered it a relationship between him and the tow yard. He ended up paying the $600. He had not hired me and only talked to me after the fact. So, the answer is two-part. Call the Chief of Police or retain an attorney. I would recommend the latter.

A: You have a very limited amount of time to demand a Hearing and pay the Cash Bond to the Department of Safety. I suggest you either hire an attorney or file it yourself today. You should have received a Notice of Seizure, upon which a Notice of Forfeiture is issued.