Ontario Property Forfeiture Lawyers
The Toronto asset forfeiture lawyers of Cohen, Sabsay LLP are experienced in the recovery of assets after they have been seized and forfeited to the Crown.
About Property Seizure
Cars, money, jewelry, electronics, real estate or any other property that the Crown determines is related to a criminal offence can be seized as part of a criminal investigation. After the property is seized, the Crown must make an application for asset forfeiture to a judge.
Our lawyers will bring an application for relief from property forfeiture to help our clients get their property back either before or after the resolution of the criminal case.
In order to be successful, we must satisfy the judge that the property is one of the following:
- Not related to the offence: for example, a television that we can prove was not stolen or purchased with the proceeds of crime
- Owned by an innocent third party: such as a home in which the accused lived as a tenant, and the landlord did not know of any illegal activities
- Not required for the trial: such as a pair of eye glasses that helped identify a suspect, when the glasses can be documented by photographs
- Not the proceeds of a crime: such as money that can be traced to legitimate origins
When given the opportunity, police will seize as much property as possible, saying it will provide evidence of the offence. The process of retrieving the property can be daunting for someone who is unfamiliar with the procedural steps.
We have been successful in restoring seized property to its rightful owner(s). To learn if we can be of assistance to you, please contact Cohen, Sabsay LLP.
