§ 20439 Property Seizure Care Costs

Food and Agricultural Code·California

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Key Takeaways

•If the police take your stuff (like a car or money) because of a crime, you have to pay for the cost of storing or taking care of it.
•The money you owe for storing your stuff becomes a debt tied to that stuff. This means if you don’t pay, the government can sell your stuff to get their money back.
•This rule is only for things taken because of a crime, not for normal things like parking tickets.

Example

The police take your car because you were using it to sell drugs.

While the police have your car, they might charge you $50 a day to store it. If you don’t pay, they can sell your car to get that money back.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 20439 Property Seizure Care Costs

Any expense which is incurred in caring for any property which is seized pursuant to this article shall be paid by the owner of the property. The cost of caring for the property so held is a lien upon the property. The lien may be enforced in the manner which is prescribed in Section 3052 of the Civil Code. (Enacted by Stats. 1967, Ch. 15.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

expense seized property lien Section 3052 of the Civil Code

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Food and Agricultural Code. Section 20439.

Key Takeaways

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Related Statutes

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Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References