General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 257 Seizure and Libelling of Forfeited Property
- Massachusetts General Laws - Persons authorized - Chapter 257, Section 1
Property which has been forfeited for an offence may, if no other provision is made, be seized by a person entitled to enforce the forfeiture...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Libel; contents; time for filing - Chapter 257, Section 2
The person who makes the seizure shall, within fourteen days thereafter, file a libel in the superior court or in a district court, stating briefly...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Libel; jurisdiction and venue - Chapter 257, Section 3
A libel may be brought either in the superior court in the county where the offence was committed, or in a district court having jurisdiction...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Superior court; notice of libel - Chapter 257, Section 4
Upon the filing of a libel in the superior court, the clerk shall issue an order of notice, stating briefly the substance of the libel,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - District court; notice of libel - Chapter 257, Section 5
If the libel is filed in a district court the court shall issue an order of notice, stating briefly the substance of the libel and...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Proceedings - Chapter 257, Section 6
The libel shall be entered and conducted as a civil action; and if after notice no claimant appears, the court shall, upon a hearing, decree...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Decree - Chapter 257, Section 7
If the libellant maintains his action, the court shall decree a forfeiture and sale of the property and a distribution of the proceeds, or other...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Proceeds of sale; disposition - Chapter 257, Section 8
If property is sold under such decree, the proceeds shall be applied under the direction of the court to the payment of the expenses of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Seizure without probable cause; damages; costs - Chapter 257, Section 9
If it is found that the seizure was groundless and without probable cause, reasonable damages shall be assessed for the claimant, and the court shall...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Costs; allowance - Chapter 257, Section 10
In all other cases the court shall award costs to the prevailing party or may order the costs and charges of keeping and selling the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Delivery of property to claimant; conditions precedent - Chapter 257, Section 11
Property which is alleged to have been forfeited may after its seizure be delivered to the owner or a person entitled to claim the same,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Appraisal; application of claimant - Chapter 257, Section 12
The value of the property shall be determined by three disinterested persons appointed by the parties or by a justice of the peace to whom...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Appraisal; application of person making seizure - Chapter 257, Section 13
The person who makes the seizure shall forthwith, unless an application for an appraisal has been made by a claimant, apply to a justice of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1931, 426, Sec. 103 - Chapter 257, Section 14
Repealed, 1931, 426, Sec.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Perishable goods; sale - Chapter 257, Section 15
If appraisers appointed under section thirteen certify that property so seized is perishable and likely to depreciate in value by being kept, any district court...
Last modified: September 11, 2015