Opinion ID: 591489
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Unreasonableness of Delay and Reasons for Delay

Text: 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.