YIKES! Illinois Town Starts Seizing Cars For Unrelated Infractions

Beginning next month, the city of Oak Forest, Illinois will give police the authority to seize the automobile belonging to anyone they accuse of committing an crime, even if it the offense is completely unrelated to the use of an automobile. People arrested for any of 37 different infractions ranging from forgetting your driver's license to vandalism, shoplifting and armed robbery will have their cars seized and held until a bond payment of $500 is made.

If an accused individual is not able to come up with $500 in cash within sixty days, the city will sell the automobile at auction and keep the profits. If the accused has a trial and is found not guilty, the city may return the $500.

In anticipation of the new revenue stream, the city has stepped up its confiscation efforts. In 2005, police impounded 175 vehicles after an arrest. Last year, the figure more than doubled. There were 336 impounds in the eight months from January to August -- meaning a full year's worth of confiscation could generate $250,000. The nearby cities of Chicago Heights, Midlothian, and New Lenox have similarly stepped up efforts by adoption confiscation ordinances.


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EL34 - 5/31/2007 1:13:31 PM

-4 Boost

Well they do things a little differently in Illinois and to this day the Dodge Stratus is the #1 vehicle on their roads.

S4cabriofoxone - 6/1/2007 10:46:23 PM

+1 Boost

Thanks. Truly. You are just a snooty @sswipe who can't afford to live in the "real" L.A.

Caddyman07 - 5/31/2007 2:02:03 PM

+2 Boost

These bastards already do this for ANY car that is seized. They give a $500 fee for ANYTIME your car is impounded in Lake County Illinois.

no1listensanyway - 5/31/2007 3:27:42 PM

+3 Boost

That is BS, the governments puropse is to serve and protect. Not to ruin your life because you forgot your license. Where the hell is civil liberties union on this one?

Threepoint1415926 - 5/31/2007 7:08:01 PM

0 Boost

The ACLU needs a case to fight first. We wont see them step up until the police use this law, essentially robbing money from the people at gunpoint. Unfortunately, you cant sue the government until a crime against the people has already been committed.

Lexus - 5/31/2007 3:37:52 PM

+1 Boost

Thing like this shouldn't be happening in America, this is something you read in a newspaper in a Communist counry.

Bmw8ter - 5/31/2007 6:51:12 PM

+1 Boost

Charles Darwin must be laughing his ass off.

Rupert - 5/31/2007 7:36:18 PM

+4 Boost

Oak Forest Police sound like complete bitches.
"So I'm sorry I was drunk and threw up on the street/road sign/etc, I'll pay the 20 dollars to clean it up"
"No we'll just impound your car"
"But I need it to go to work, and my wife and kids need it"
"So?"
"If I can't earn money how am I supposed to pay you $500 for my car? It's only a 20 year old Toyota...you won't be able to sell it at auction for more than $20, and the paperwork will cost more than that"
"So what we like screwing you."
"Asshole"
"Sir I'm arresting you and impounding your bicycle. It will cost $200 to release it"


ARGH!

TauronB2G - 5/31/2007 10:36:51 PM

+2 Boost

I live about 5 miles from Oak Forest and they are just plain buttholes. They write unnecessary tickets at the train parking lot, give bogus speeding tickets up and down Cicero and are just plain nasty. Its really just a suburban trailer town on the outskirts of the nice areas. They really just need a lot of bad press to reign this law in. I'm gonna forward this story to Robin and Co at headline news.
Oak Forest sucks!!!

S4cabriofoxone - 6/1/2007 10:50:10 PM

+1 Boost

Do you live in/near the North Shore?

EnnNorak - 5/31/2007 11:29:38 PM

+1 Boost

This will be declared unconstitutional by the courts and Illinois will be sued accordingly.

cdoke - 6/1/2007 2:18:00 PM

+3 Boost

"If an accused individual is not able to come up with $500 in cash within sixty days, the city will sell the automobile at auction and keep the profits. If the accused has a trial and is found not guilty, the city may return the $500. "

If you are not guilty and they take your car and sell it whilst you are awaiting trial that is 100% illegal. Not only does it violates presumption of innocence, I am pretty sure that it is technically Grand theft [a felony]. These people are crimials and should face a federal trial.

S4cabriofoxone - 6/1/2007 10:53:58 PM

+2 Boost

You'd think they realized that. But no, of course not. I'm not even going to begin- I'm just glad my own town doesn't partake in these sorts of shenanigans.

cdoke - 6/1/2007 2:32:24 PM

+3 Boost

... it also directly violates the fifth amendment.

TONYRICH - 6/9/2007 10:55:43 AM

+2 Boost

I USED TO LIVE IN OAK FOREST THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS I HAVE SEEN THEM SIEZE CARS RIGHT OFF PEOPLES PROPERTY ONE PERSON HAD HIS GARAGE DOOR DESTROYED SO THEY COULD GET HIS CAR OUT AND THEY ALSO SIEZE HOUSES TOO I THINK THIS IS OUT OF THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO THIS IS WHAT THEY DO IN A COMMUNIST COUNTRY SIEZE EVERYTHING.