US Government Was Forced To Return Luxury Cars It Seized In 2013 CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News US Government Was Forced To Return Luxury Cars It Seized In 2013

US Government Was Forced To Return Luxury Cars It Seized In 2013

Feb. 26, 2017 12:17 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Government / 13 Comments This is a big win against government civil forfeiture. Last Summer, we reported that the federal government seized 12 BMW X5 SUVs that were owned by a Chinese couple who own a company in Tennessee. The cars were seized because the couple were allegedly planning to export the them to China where they could likely be sold at double or even triple their US prices. The New York Times has just had an updated reported on this case that's been ongoing since 2013. A Manhattan federal jury ruled in favor of the Efans Trading Corporation and ordered the return of the cars and the $3 million from the company's bank account. For a bit of background on what Civil Forfeiture is, John Oliver did an interesting segment that explains how the government can take your stuff with very little evidence or paperwork. BMW This is the same rule that has been used in the past to piss off car enthusiasts when the government seized and crushed Land Rover Defender models that were suspected of being less than 25 years old, and Nissan Skyline models that were illegally badged as a 240. Most of these cases go uncontested, but this recent case shows that the government can be defeated in court over these seizures. Benjamin J. Razi, a partner with the law firm Covington & Burling, which represented Efans said that "We are grateful that the jury saw this case for the government overreach that it was." This case is still a bit different from others because it involves exporting rather than importing. Companies like Efans have taken advantage of a high demand for luxury cars in China by purchasing cars here in the US and exporting them for a large profit. However, to buy these luxury cars from US dealerships, Efans needed to use "straw buyers," which are essentially fake customers who go to the dealership and purchase the cars on the company's behalf. It isn't an illegal practice, but the automakers certainly aren't happy with it. Civil forfeitures will definitely be an issue that the current Trump administration might need to tackle. President Trump has sided with law enforcement on this issue, so we may not get the reforms that we would like to see in this area.

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BMW X5 Land Rover Range Rover Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top