Under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act of 1996 (“MVRA”), the government can seek to acquire and liquidate assets owned by individuals convicted of crimes, even if the funds used to obtain those assets had nothing to do with the alleged misconduct. The government will use MVRA to seize property and pensions. But what the government doesn’t want defendants to know is that there are substantial limits on what percentage of certain assets – such as pensions – that they can acquire, and that there are substantial procedural steps with which the government must comply to be able to seize them at all.
Similarly, state and federal agencies are seizing assets to a greater extent then ever before. Money, vehicles, and property are routinely collected by law enforcement agencies, with an intent that they never be returned to their rightful owners. This is done, in large part, because people rarely challenge this brutal use of governmental power. But such seizures can be challenged — effectively and safely.
At the Law Offices of Ian Wallach, P.C. we know how to challenge and limit or nullify the government’s efforts to get these assets, and keep property in the hands of their rightful owner. If you or a loved one has assets being subject to seizure, or to garnishment under MVRA, contact us immediately.
