What to do if…
you receive a notice that goods or property of yours are being held pending verification

What to do now

1. Preserve the notice exactly as received. Save PDFs/screenshots, envelope photos, and attachments. Note the date you received it and any case/receipt numbers.
2. Verify authenticity using an official channel you find yourself.
   • Use the agency’s official website (local government site for city/county/state, or a federal .gov site) to find a main phone number or contact portal.
   • Ask: “Can you confirm this case number and that this notice was issued by your office?”
3. Identify what type of hold it is (this changes your next step). Ask for confirmation in writing:
   • evidence retention / safekeeping / lost-and-found,
   • contraband screening,
   • seizure with possible civil or administrative forfeiture.
4. If police/sheriff seized it, request the property receipt/inventory and release conditions.
   • If you never received a receipt, ask for one (item description, serial numbers, date/location, officer/unit, case number).
   • Ask whether any items can be released now, what ID is required, and whether pickup is appointment-only.
5. Reply in writing with a simple “ownership + return” packet. Include:
   • your name and contact info,
   • the case/receipt number,
   • a one-sentence request: “I claim lawful ownership and request return/release once verification is complete,”
   • copies of proof of ownership (receipts, order confirmations, photos of serial numbers, insurance listing, repair records),
   • copies of ID only if the verified agency requires it (mask irrelevant details where possible).
6. If the notice mentions forfeiture or “intent to forfeit,” treat it as time-sensitive and procedural.
   • Use the deadline on your notice. Do not assume extensions.
   • For federal forfeitures listed on Forfeiture.gov, to contest forfeiture in U.S. District Court you generally must file a claim with the notifying agency at the address in the notice by the notice deadline.
   • A federal claim generally must identify the property, state your ownership/interest, and be made under oath/penalty of perjury (or an equivalent unsworn declaration).
   • Filing a timely claim generally stops the administrative forfeiture track and moves it toward court processing.
7. Know the other federal route: petitions are different from claims. Federal agencies also allow a petition for remission/mitigation (often about discretionary return/relief). Petitions have their own deadlines (often tied to publication or the personal notice). If you are unsure which route to use, get quick legal advice—choosing wrong can cost time.
8. If this is jail/prison property (yours or a loved one’s), use the facility’s property office process in writing. Ask:
   • what exactly is being verified (identity, authorization, inventory match, contraband rules),
   • what documents they accept for release/forwarding,
   • whether they require a notarized authorization or specific facility form. (Federal prison rules and forms differ from state/county facilities—don’t assume they’re the same.)
9. Escalate if you cannot get basic written confirmation.
   • Ask for a supervisor in the property/evidence unit.
   • Use the agency’s published complaint process or records request channel if they will not confirm inventory/status.