Illinois Prosecutor's Office Racking Up Real Estate Forfeitures

In Champaign County, Illinois, The News-Gazette reports:

• Since June, the Champaign County state's attorney's office has succeeded in taking from their owners three homes where drug dealing was going on. The homes are now the property of the Illinois State Police and will be sold, with the proceeds divided among law enforcement. [...] It's a way to send a message to those who use and distribute illegal drugs," said Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz of her office's plan to seize the assets of criminals.

When the confiscated homes are ultimately sold, mortgages and other liens on the real estate are paid first. Anything left over is divided up amongst police agencies and prosecutors' offices, according to the story.

Reportedly, the prosecutor's office had its sights on a fourth home - of a man accused of juvenile pimping, because he was allegedly using the house in the commission of a crime. They promptly scrapped the idea, however, when they learned that the house was worth less than the outstanding liens. The bank foreclosed and got stuck with the house, instead. For more, see If you sell drugs out of your home, you could lose it.