Posted By:
NickMOther people have already answered the bankruptcy questions, but no one has really talked about seizure as part of criminal investigation.
There are 2 different types of seizure that could happen - seizure for the purpose of asset forfeiture or seizure for investigation/evidence gathering.
Seizure for the purpose of asset forfeiture would likely result in consignors having to hire lawyers to file claims to get their property back (I doubt most U.S. Attorneys' offices will even fight the claims), while seizure for investigation/evidence gathering results in the return of property to the owner afterward . . . BUT many law enforcement entities do not exercise proper care with valuable property seized as evidence. One anecdotal point will illustrate this. A dealer friend of mine had an expensive raw card (high-grade post-WWII HOFer rookie) stolen. It was recovered when the thief was arrested. The dealer got it back after the trial - with an evidence sticker now stuck directly on the card.