Sec. 1604.
(1) The officer seizing the property shall file a verified complaint in the court having jurisdiction and venue over the seizure of the property pursuant to section 1603. The complaint shall set forth the kind of property seized, the time and place of the seizure, the reasons for the seizure, and a demand for the property's condemnation and confiscation. Upon the filing of the complaint, an order shall be issued requiring the owner to show cause why the property should not be confiscated. The substance of the complaint shall be stated in the order. The order to show cause shall fix the time for service of the order and for the hearing on the proposed condemnation and confiscation.
(2) The order to show cause shall be served on the owner of the property as soon as possible, but not less than 7 days before the complaint is to be heard. The court, for cause shown, may hear the complaint on shorter notice. If the owner is not known or cannot be found, notice may be served in 1 or more of the following ways:
(a) By posting a copy of the order in 3 public places for 3 consecutive weeks in the county in which the seizure was made and by sending a copy of the order by registered mail to the last known address of the owner. If the last known address of the owner is not known, mailing a copy of the order is not required.
(b) By publishing a copy of the order in a newspaper once each week for 3 consecutive weeks in the county where the seizure was made and by sending a copy of the order by registered mail to the last known address of the owner. If the last known address of the owner is not known, mailing a copy of the order is not required.
(c) In such a manner as the court directs.
(3) Upon the hearing of the complaint, if the court determines that the property mentioned in the petition was caught, killed, possessed, shipped, or used contrary to law, either by the owner or by a person lawfully in possession of the property under an agreement with the owner, an order may be made condemning and confiscating the property and directing its sale or other disposal by the department, the proceeds from which shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the game and fish protection account of the Michigan conservation and recreation legacy fund provided for in section 2010. If the owner or person lawfully in possession of the property seized signs a property release, a court proceeding is not necessary. At the hearing, if the court determines that the property was not caught, killed, possessed, shipped, or used contrary to law, the court shall order the department to return the property immediately to its owner.
History: Add. 1995, Act 60, Imd. Eff. May 24, 1995 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 587, Eff. Dec. 23, 2006
Last modified: October 10, 2016