Monette forfeiture to be auctioned

Published 1:42 pm Friday, August 29, 2003

By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS -- Cass County commissioners on Thursday approved the auction sale of property at 22544 Monette St. in Jefferson Township acquired by drug forfeiture. The seven acres were confiscated in a narcotics investigation by the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team (CCDET) consisting of members of the Sheriff's Office and the Dowagiac Police Department.
Following a March 26 bench trial, Circuit Judge Michael E. Dodge April 4 ordered the property forfeited pursuant to the Michigan Controlled Substances Act.
Sheriff Joseph M. Underwood Jr. registered the property to the County of Cass, completing the transaction.
According to a memo Underwood wrote June 24 to County Administrator Terry Proctor, "The house is considered non-livable. Jefferson Township has notified us that the house falls under their Dangerous Building Ordinance Section 2. Therefore, the Edwardsburg Fire Department has been contacted to schedule a controlled burn on the house. This should be completed within the next month."
According to statute, funds received from the sale of forfeited property must be used for narcotics investigations.
Funds received from the sale of the property will be split two thirds to the county and one third to Dowagiac for the CCDET, since the county furnishes two officers and the city provides a detective.