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Sheriff's office clears path to sell seized vehicles, convert two for agency use and accepts forfeiture accounting
Summary
Clay County commissioners approved the sheriff's request to accept and dispose of multiple abandoned or seized vehicles under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 18.17, convert two vehicles to agency use and acknowledged the sheriff's forfeiture fund accounting. The court authorized sales and conversion actions by general consent, 5-0.
The Clay County Commissioner's Court approved a set of sheriff's office requests related to seized and abandoned vehicles, forfeiture funds and a memorandum of agreement with the Texas Animal Health Commission.
The sheriff told the court the vehicles originated from human-smuggling and related cases. Under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 18.17, the sheriff said certified notices were sent to prior owners, the statutory 90-day period elapsed (the sheriff noted January 31 as the ninetieth day) and only one non-registered owner responded. The court first accepted custody of nine vehicles (declared available for disposition) and then approved publishing notices and disposing of seven of those vehicles at public auction. The sheriff said the likely auction date is March 29 and said proceeds, after a 30-day redemption period, would be deposited to the county treasury; proceeds are expected to be more than the $500 minimum required for sale, and the sheriff estimated individual vehicles probably would bring over $1,000 each.
The court also approved conversion of two vehicles for immediate agency use (both described as Toyota Sienna vans) for undercover work, larger transports and training—items the sheriff said would reduce use of marked patrol vehicles for some assignments. Commissioners discussed fleet counts and noted the sheriff plans to sell older Tahoes as part of the overall fleet rebalancing.
Separately, the sheriff presented an acknowledgement of the Sheriff's Office forfeiture budget/funds; the court accepted the accounting and acknowledged the forfeiture fund report as a procedural item. The court also unanimously approved a memorandum of agreement with the Texas Animal Health Commission to assist with animal-inspection checkpoints where county deputies would support state inspectors; deputies would be paid at $35 per hour when assigned for those checkpoints and the sheriff said the funds for off-duty deputy pay would go to the deputies directly.
Ending: The court approved the disposition and conversion steps and accepted the forfeiture accounting and MOA; the sheriff will publish sale notices and manage the auction and conversion process as required by state law.
