As predicted
Mark reports that Tennessee’s taxes on illegal drugs are working as expected:
A Bloomington Springs house and the land it sits on yesterday became the first real estate in Tennessee to be seized for unpaid tax on illegal drugs. The property belongs to Jerry [redacted], and the tax is for the marijuana crop that law officers found growing inside an unoccupied house there last month — 80 marijuana plants three to four feet tall.
No due process. Unchecked confiscation. Drugs continue to win the war. More:
The taxing of the marijuana there and the seizing of the property to force payment of that tax are not connected to the criminal charges that are pending against [redacted] in the case.
The tax, a civil matter handled by the Tennessee Dept. of Revenue, comes from a new state law which, in effect, says to drug dealers: “The tax man is coming.”
The tax, the total amount of which is not publicly disclosed in individual cases, is levied under a new law which went into effect this January taxing “unauthorized substances,” namely marijuana, cocaine, crack, meth, and untaxed liquors and spirits.
And, as reported here, even if you try to pay the tax, they won’t take your money. It’s purpose is an additional civil issue and the taking of property.
March 23rd, 2005 at 1:19 pm
[…] | Main |
As predicted (continued)
|By SayUncle|
I blogged here about Tennessee’s tax on illegal drugs claiming its first booty. A man clai […]
March 21st, 2005 at 1:34 pm
Sweet Bojesus!
So if Deputy Dogg doesn’t like your attitude and “finds” a few crack rocks in your pocket, the Great State of Yeeeehaaa
can take your property loooong before your proven guilty in a court of law?
This is the sound of me scratching Tenn. off the list of places I may ever live.
Hooz.
March 22nd, 2005 at 9:17 pm
The house is worth about $90,000 and I owe $71,000 on it. They taxed me with $139,000 and interest is $1,370 a month and growing. There was only 28 plants and I was renting the house to friends to grow. It wasn’t even mine and they caused me to lose my job. They took 1/2 vacation pay comming to me and took lawnmowers, tiller, chaisaw, pressure washer, and anything else they could find. Its very unfair but they need to look good and get promoted and don’t forget the money to line pockets with.
March 22nd, 2005 at 9:19 pm
Oh yeah the reason not charged yet was bad search. May not ever get charged. Been over month and 1/2