I have a large (and I do mean large) cash forfeiture. We have a local agreement with the Law enforcement agency that filed the forfeiture. However, there were other law enforcement agencies involved and deserve some of the cash. My question is how much latitude do I have in modifying the agreement so help out the other agencies. Do we have to get the seizing agency to agree to the changes or can we do it on our own accord.

Feel free to give away any part of your percentage award, but not the other agency's! An agreement means you can't unilaterally change it, and when it is a large cash award, everybody gets tense. Hopefully you can work it out where everybody is happy.

That is what I was afraid of, I will just have to talk to the agencies and get them to agree.

I don't believe that there is anything in the law that prohibits you from entering into a one time asset forfeiture agreement for a particular seizure. Obviously, all parties would have to agree. There has been at least one occasion in recent memory where we have had a special agreement for a large seizure. Typically, the local agency and, in my case, DPS were more than willing to work together to reach a fair division.

Robert DuBoise