Opinion ID: 591489
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Four-Prong Test for Unreasonable Delay

Text: 18 The Supreme Court has set forth a four-part test for determining whether an unreasonable delay has transpired between seizure of forfeitable property and a final hearing concerning the ultimate disposition of the property seized. United States v. $8,850 in United States Currency, 461 U.S. 555, 563-69, 103 S.Ct. 2005, 2012-15, 76 L.Ed.2d 143 (1983); United States v. Von Neumann, 474 U.S. 242, 251, 106 S.Ct. 610, 615, 88 L.Ed.2d 587 (1986); United States v. Premises Located at Route 13, 946 F.2d 749 (11th Cir.1991). Courts must balance the following factors: (1) the length of delay; (2) the reason for the delay; (3) the claimant's assertion of her right; and (4) any prejudice suffered by the claimant. Id. Nnadi has been unable to show that these four factors weigh in favor of premature return of the Pulsar. 19
20 The district court held that an undue delay had transpired between the government's seizure of the Pulsar and a hearing to determine the ultimate disposition of the seized property. The court's ruling was based on the forty days that had elapsed between the date the Pulsar was seized and the date the court addressed Nnadi's claim. The court's rulings ignored (1) the government's diligence in abiding by the procedures relating to forfeiture and subsequent judicial hearings set forth in 19 U.S.C. §§ 1603, 1604 and 1607 and the fact that a prompt hearing would have ensued if Nnadi had filed a claim with the Customs Service contesting the government's seizure and (2) the relatively short delay which forty days represents under the circumstances. 21 The customs statutes oblige the government to send written notice to any party having an interest in a seized article as long as applicable procedures explaining how to contest the seizure. 19 U.S.C. § 1607. Under section 1603(b), the Customs Service must report promptly any seizure to the United States attorney whenever legal proceedings are necessary. 19 U.S.C. § 1603(b). 3 Such proceedings would be necessary whenever an individual contests a Customs Service seizure. Under section 1604, the United States attorney to whom the matter has been referred is obligated forthwith to cause the proper proceedings to be commenced and prosecuted, without delay  before the appropriate district court. 19 U.S.C. § 1604 (emphasis added). 22 In this case, the Customs Service sent Nnadi the mandated written notice along with an explanation of how to challenge the forfeiture by filing a claim and a cost bond. Apparently, the notice was addressed to the wrong apartment number and Nnadi claims she never received it. Nevertheless, the government has proffered signed affidavits indicating that Nnadi and her lawyer were not only aware of the forfeiture (Nnadi witnessed the seizure), but that Nnadi's lawyer actually contacted the Customs Service office on January 13, 1992 and January 16, 1992, concerning the forfeiture. 4 23 In this case, the delay between the forfeiture and a post-seizure hearing was justified by the government's involvement with the active administrative forfeiture proceedings involving the Pulsar. $8850, 461 U.S. at 567, 103 S.Ct. at 2014. The government did not cause an undue delay between seizure and hearing because it was awaiting a filing by Nnadi in the administrative proceeding which Nnadi knew existed. Had Nnadi filed the claim, which she and her lawyer must have known was required of her, the government would have been obligated, in return, to initiate judicial proceedings without delay. 19 U.S.C. § 1603 and 1604. 5 In fact, once Nnadi finally did make the appropriate filing (on March 6, 1992, two days after filing this appeal), the government did take appropriate and prompt steps to obtain a hearing. On May 2, a complaint for forfeiture was filed in district court by the United States attorney. 24 The district court also stated that an unreasonable delay of six months separated commission of the alleged drug related conduct (driving Joyner to the airport) and the seizure. This determination by the district court misses the essence of the concept of unreasonable delay in forfeiture cases. Due process is violated when a claimant is deprived of her property for an unreasonable amount of time prior to a hearing on the merits, $8850, supra, not when there is a delay which postpones the seizure of the property. 25 In addition, the period between the acquisition of probable cause information and seizure is far from unreasonable. Although the Joyner importation incident occurred in late June 1991, the government did not learn of Nnadi's involvement until December 12, 1991, less than three weeks prior to seizure. Thus, this information did not reach the appropriate special agent until December 19, eleven days prior to seizure. This minor delay is not unreasonable because [b]oth the Government and the claimant have an interest in a rule that allows the Government some time to investigate. $8850, 461 U.S. at 565, 103 S.Ct. at 2013.
26 The third factor in the $8850 balancing test requires that claimant show that she diligently asserted her rights to a prompt post-seizure hearing. Nnadi has made no such showing, and in fact has shown that she willfully avoided the appropriate channels. If Nnadi had filed the appropriate claim with the Customs Service, the customs officer would have been obligated under section 1603(b) to refer the matter to the United States attorney. Section 1604 then obligates the United States attorney to cause the proper proceedings to be commenced and prosecuted in the appropriate district court. 19 U.S.C. § 1604. In addition, a claimant may speed up civil forfeiture proceedings by (1) filing an equitable claim seeking an order compelling the filing of the forfeiture action or return of the seized property, or (2) requesting that the Customs Service refer the matter to the United States attorney. $8850, 461 U.S. at 567, 103 S.Ct. at 2014. Nnadi and her lawyer had actual knowledge of a seizure by the Customs Service but failed to protest the seizure through any of the above mentioned channels. Not until March 6, 1992, two days after the appeal to this court, did she file, for the first time, a claim in the administrative forfeiture action which led, pursuant to sections 1603 and 1604 to an action being filed in district court on May 2. Consequently, it is clear that any significant delay has resulted from Nnadi's failure to exercise her rights in a timely fashion rather than from the government's failure to pursue prompt settlement of Nnadi's claims.
27 Finally, a delay may be unreasonable if the defendant has been overly prejudiced by the delay between seizure and hearings. The primary inquiry here is whether the delay has hampered the claimant in presenting a defense on the merits, through, for example, the loss of witnesses or other important evidence. United States v. $8850, 461 U.S. at 567, 103 S.Ct. at 2014; Von Neumann, 474 U.S. at 249, 106 S.Ct. at 615. The district court states in its order that the defendant has offered no evidence that plaintiff can pay the requested bond. It is the claimant, however, who bears the burden of proving prejudice; it is not the defendant's responsibility to prove that Nnadi suffered no prejudice. Nnadi, like the claimant in $8850, has offered no evidence that she has been so harmed. $8850, 461 U.S. at 567, 103 S.Ct. at 2014. Nnadi has not shown that she is unable to post a cost bond, in the amount of 10% of the value of the seized car.
28 The Von Neumann factors weigh heavily in favor of a finding that no unreasonable delay transpired between seizure and post-seizure hearings and that the district court erred when it held otherwise. Nnadi was aware of the forfeiture by customs agents, as was her lawyer, and chose to initiate this action rather than file a claim through the correct channel. In addition, even if she had been unaware of the administrative proceeding when she filed this action on February 10, 1992, she certainly became aware of such when the government's responded to her complaint on February 18. 6 At that time, a mere forty days after forfeiture, she could have exercised her rights to compel a speedy civil forfeiture action. 29 Nnadi ignored the two appropriate courses of actions and instead initiated this case for return of the Pulsar. She has been denied a timely post-seizure trial solely because she attempted to circumvent the prescribed procedure for dealing with seized property. Currently, there is an appropriate forfeiture proceeding pending before the district court in which she can vindicate her rights if she proves that she has been unjustly denied her property. Because Nnadi failed to avail herself of her rights and because of the relatively short time period involved, we hold that the district court erred when it concluded that Nnadi had been denied her due process rights by an unreasonable delay between seizure and hearing.