Rule 3204 Sheriff’s determination of claimant’s title

After someone files a claim saying they own property that was seized, the sheriff has 10 days to look into it. The sheriff needs to decide whether the person filing the claim appears to be the rightful owner of all or part of that property.

The sheriff does not have to hold a formal hearing to make this decision. They can look at the available information and make a judgment call on their own. This is just an initial review to see if the claim has merit, not a final decision about ownership.