Vehicular Forfeiture

We know it doesn’t seem fair that they can try to take your car. You can defend against it.  You need to know your rights, or find someone who does. 

Of all the local counties, Nassau County may be the strictest. The County may attempt to take your vehicle even if this is only your FIRST DWI/DUI offense.    This is the County’s 3^rd revision of the law in the recent past.  The first two statutes were challenged on constitutional grounds and were repealed and/or rewritten.   Find someone who knows the current laws, who can be your advocate, who can help you save your car. 

Austin Law Associates believes that there are many ways to avoid losing your vehicle: 

• If you are not the owner of the car you may be eligible for the return of your vehicle based on a defense of an “innocent owner”.

• If the loss of your vehicle would result in a hardship, you may be eligible to keep your car based on a “hardship defense”.

• The law provides that the County must notify you at the time of your arrest or soon thereafter that your vehicle is eligible for seizure.  If they did not do this, you may be eligible to keep your car.

• Make sure you received proper notice after your arrest by certified mail; not just 120 days later taped to your door.

• Make sure the County filed the civil suit correctly.  We can help research this for you.

•  If you lease or finance your vehicle, check your Lease/Finance agreement to make sure you haven’t defaulted on your contract.  Or bring it to us and we’ll check it for you.