[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 39, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 39CFR233.9]

[Page 81-82]
 
                        TITLE 39--POSTAL SERVICE
 
                 CHAPTER I--UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
 
PART 233--INSPECTION SERVICE AUTHORITY--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 233.9  Expedited release of conveyances being forfeited in a judicial 
forfeiture proceeding for a drug-related offense.

    (a) Petition for expedited release of conveyance. Where a conveyance 
has been

[[Page 82]]

seized and is being forfeited in a judicial proceeding for a drug-
related offense, the owner may petition the United States Attorney for 
an expedited release of the conveyance in accordance with the 
regulations of the Department of Justice (21 CFR part 1316).
    (b) Petition filed in timely manner. A petition for expedited 
release must be filed in a timely manner in order to be considered by 
the United States Attorney. To be considered as filed in a timely 
manner, in accordance with 21 CFR part 1316, the petition must be 
received by the appropriate United States Attorney within 20 days from 
the date of the first publication of the notice of the action and arrest 
of the property, or within 30 days after filing of the claim, whichever 
occurs later.
    (c) Obtaining release of the property by filing a substitute res 
bond. Where a conveyance is being forfeited in a judicial proceeding for 
a drug-related offense, the owner may obtain release of the property by 
filing a substitute res bond with the Postal Inspection Service. The 
conveyance will be released to the owner upon the payment of a bond in 
the amount of the appraised value of the conveyance if it is not 
evidence of a violation of law or has design or other characteristics 
that particularly suit it for use in illegal activities. This bond must 
be in the form of a traveler's check, a money order, a cashier's check 
or an irrevocable letter of credit made payable to the United States 
Postal Service. A bond in the form of a cashier's check will be 
considered as paid once the check has been accepted for payment by the 
financial institution which issued the check.
    (d) Forfeiture of the bond. If a substitute res bond is filed and 
the conveyance is judicially forfeited, the court will forfeit the bond 
in lieu of the property.

[54 FR 47522, Nov. 15, 1989]