Opinion ID: 161302
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 6 The defendant property is located at 5501 Central Avenue, N.W., in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Relax Motel is on the property. RMI, which owns the property, is a closely held New Mexico corporation. Sixty-five percent of the stock is owned by Anverali Nagji and his wife Maiwesh. The rest of the stock is owned by Anverali's brother. In 1992, Altaf Nagji, a son of Anverali Nagji, entered into a lease with RMI by which he gained the operating interest in the Relax Motel in return for monthly payments of $2,255.00. Under the lease, after fifteen years Altaf Nagji is granted the option of buying the motel from RMI for $1.00. Altaf's brother Aliap helped to manage the motel. 7 The Relax Motel, a small establishment, was openly and obviously used for illegal drug trafficking from 1995 through 1998. Drug transactions occurred in front of, inside, and behind the motel during the day and night at such high frequency that at times people and vehicles were lined up outside of rooms and in the parking lot to participate. RMI, Altaf Nagji, and Aliap Nagji were not involved in the drug trafficking on the property and did not profit from it. 8 Prior to trial, RMI filed a motion to dismiss, arguing in part that forfeiture of the property would constitute an excessive fine in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The district court denied the motion. 9 At trial, the government presented evidence from law enforcement agents regarding the extent of the drug trafficking at the Relax Motel. In response, Anverali Nagji testified that, when his sons informed him of illegal activities there, he told them to call the police. He acknowledged that he did not ask his sons for details, did not call the police himself, and did not make any further inquiries. No evidence was presented that any other officer or director of RMI called the police about illegal activity on the property. 10 Anverali Nagji also testified that he served as vice-president of the Albuquerque Independent Motel Owner Association and that the Association had issued a poster that warned tenants that, if they used rooms for criminal activities, they would be subject to eviction and the police would be notified. However, no evidence was presented that this poster was actually posted at the Relax Motel. 11 In contrast, Altaf Nagji testified that he had notified law enforcement authorities when he observed people selling drugs in the parking lot. However, he added that he ceased reporting the drug sales after a police sergeant came to the motel office and told him not to call the police anymore. Additionally, he testified that when he would ask people to leave the premises, they would sometimes threaten him. 12 On February 22, 2000, the district court issued findings of fact and conclusions of law. The court concluded that there were three reasonable steps that could have prevented illegal use of the property: (1) erecting a barrier to prevent vehicles from driving to the rear portion of the motel; (2) hiring a security guard; and (3) restricting occupancy of the motel to actual customers. Because there was no evidence that RMI or Altaf Nagji took any reasonable steps to prevent drug trafficking-other than calling the police-the court concluded that they knew that the defendant property was used to facilitate felony drug violations and thus consented to the illegal activity. It therefore ordered the right, title, and interest of RMI and Altaf Nagji to be forfeited to the United States.