Section 1349. Disposal of property  


Latest version.
  • 1. Any judgment or order of forfeiture
      issued pursuant  to  this  article  shall  include  provisions  for  the
      disposal of the property found to have been forfeited.
        2.  If  any  other  provision  of  law expressly governs the manner of
      disposition of property subject to the judgment or order of  forfeiture,
      that  provision  of  law  shall  be  controlling.  Upon application by a
      claiming agent for  reimbursement  of  moneys  directly  expended  by  a
      claiming agent in the underlying criminal investigation for the purchase
      of  contraband  which  were  converted into a non-monetary form or which
      have  not  been  otherwise  recovered,  the  court  shall  direct   such
      reimbursement  from  money  forfeited  pursuant  to  this  article. Upon
      application of the  claiming  agent,  the  court  may  direct  that  any
      vehicles,  vessels  or  aircraft  forfeited  pursuant to this article be
      retained by the claiming agent for law enforcement purposes, unless  the
      court  determines  that such property is subject to a perfected lien, in
      which case the court may not direct that the property be retained unless
      all such liens on the property to be retained  have  been  satisfied  or
      pursuant  to  the  court's order will be satisfied. In the absence of an
      application by the claiming agent, the claiming authority may  apply  to
      the  court  to  retain  such property for law enforcement purposes. Upon
      such application, the court may direct that such property be retained by
      the claiming authority for law enforcement purposes,  unless  the  court
      determines  that such property is subject to a perfected lien. If not so
      retained, the judgment or order shall direct the claiming  authority  to
      sell  the property in accordance with article fifty-one of this chapter,
      and that the proceeds of such sale and any other moneys  realized  as  a
      consequence  of  any  forfeiture  pursuant  to  this  article  shall  be
      apportioned and paid in the following descending order of priority:
        (a) Amounts ordered to be paid by the court  in  satisfaction  of  any
      lien or claim against property forfeited. A fine imposed pursuant to the
      penal law shall not be deemed to constitute a lien or claim for purposes
      of this section;
        (b) Amounts ordered to be paid by the defendant in any other action or
      proceeding  as  restitution,  reparations  or damages to a victim of the
      crime, which crime constitutes  the  basis  upon  which  forfeiture  was
      effected under this article, to the extent such amounts remain unpaid;
        (c) Amounts ordered to be paid by the defendant in any other action or
      proceeding  as  restitution,  reparations  or damages to a victim of any
      crime committed  by  the  defendant  even  though  such  crime  did  not
      constitute  the  basis  for forfeiture under this article, to the extent
      that such amounts remain unpaid;
        (d) Amounts actually expended by  a  claiming  authority  or  claiming
      agent,  which  amounts  are substantiated by vouchers or other evidence,
      for the:   (i) maintenance  and  operation  of  real  property  attached
      pursuant  to  this article. Expenditures authorized by this subparagraph
      are limited to mortgage, tax and other financial obligations imposed  by
      law and those other payments necessary to provide essential services and
      repairs  to  real  property whose occupants are innocent of the criminal
      conduct which led to the attachment or forfeiture; and
        (ii) proper storage, cleanup and disposal of hazardous  substances  or
      other  materials, the disposal of which is governed by the environmental
      conservation law, when such storage, cleanup or disposal is required  by
      circumstances  attendant  to  either  the commission of the crime or the
      forfeiture action, or any order entered pursuant thereto;
        (e) In addition to amounts, if any, distributed pursuant to  paragraph
      (d)  of this subdivision, fifteen percent of all moneys realized through
      forfeiture to the claiming authority in satisfaction of actual costs and
      expenses incurred in the investigation, preparation  and  litigation  of
    
      the  forfeiture action, including that proportion of the salaries of the
      attorneys, clerical and investigative personnel  devoted  thereto,  plus
      all  costs  and  disbursements  taxable  under  the  provisions  of this
      chapter;
        (f)  In addition to amounts, if any, distributed pursuant to paragraph
      (d) of this subdivision, five percent of  all  moneys  realized  through
      forfeiture  to  the  claiming  agent  in  satisfaction  of  actual costs
      incurred  for  protecting,  maintaining  and  forfeiting  the   property
      including  that  proportion  of  the salaries of attorneys, clerical and
      investigative personnel devoted thereto;
        (g) Forty percent of all moneys realized through forfeiture which  are
      remaining  after distributions pursuant to paragraphs (a) through (f) of
      this subdivision, to the chemical dependence  service  fund  established
      pursuant to section ninety-seven-w of the state finance law;
        (h)  All  moneys  remaining after distributions pursuant to paragraphs
      (a) through (g) of this subdivision shall be distributed as follows:
        (i) seventy-five percent of such moneys shall be deposited  to  a  law
      enforcement  purposes  subaccount of the general fund of the state where
      the  claiming  agent  is  an  agency  of  the  state  or  the  political
      subdivision  or  public authority of which the claiming agent is a part,
      to be used for law enforcement use in the  investigation  of  penal  law
      offenses;
        (ii)  the  remaining  twenty-five  percent  of  such  moneys  shall be
      deposited to a prosecution services subaccount of the  general  fund  of
      the  state  where  the claiming authority is the attorney general or the
      political subdivision of which the claiming authority is a part,  to  be
      used for the prosecution of penal law offenses.
        Where  multiple claiming agents participated in the forfeiture action,
      funds available pursuant to subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall  be
      disbursed  to  the  appropriate  law enforcement purposes subaccounts in
      accordance  with  the  terms  of  a  written  agreement  reflecting  the
      participation  of  each claiming agent entered into by the participating
      claiming agents.
        3. All moneys distributed to  the  claiming  agent  and  the  claiming
      authority  pursuant  to paragraph (h) of subdivision two of this section
      shall  be  used  to  enhance  law  enforcement  efforts   and   not   in
      supplantation   of   ordinary  budgetary  costs  including  salaries  of
      personnel, and expenses of the  claiming  authority  or  claiming  agent
      during the fiscal year in which this section takes effect.
        4.  The  claiming  authority shall report the disposal of property and
      collection of assets pursuant to this section to the state crime victims
      board, the state division of criminal justice  services  and  the  state
      division of substance abuse services.