Police Seize Car, Drive 54,000 Miles, Sell It Without Charging Owners With a Crime

Police Seize Car, Drive 54,000 Miles, Sell It Without Charging Owners With a Crime [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"A year after the Saginaw County Sheriff seized a classic muscle car from a Shiawassee County couple, it sold the car at auction — with another 54,000 miles that had been logged in the interim. Last month, the couple filed a federal lawsuit over the car and other items that had been seized and then sold by the department.
The department's actions grew out of a 2008 investigation for possible drug crimes, but the couple was never convicted or even charged with a crime.
Gerald and Royetta Ostipow filed the lawsuit on Aug. 24 with the U.S. District Court in Detroit against Saginaw County Sheriff William L. Federspiel, the department and a number of unnamed sheriff deputies. The lawsuit alleges that Federspiel and members of his department seized, then sold, hundreds of thousands of dollars in property belonging to the couple before the final determination of for feitability.
In April 2008, the department received search warrants to search a farmhouse in Shiawassee County owned by the Ostipows, who lived a half-mile down the street in their longtime residence.
The search warrants were issued by Saginaw Count judges, said Outside Legal Counsel, which is representing the Ostipows.
But it’s unclear why the Saginaw County officers were in a neighboring county’s jurisdiction and didn’t get search warrants from Shiawassee County judges.
The farmhouse, which was being renovated by Gerald Ostipow, was occupied by his adult son, Steven, and the property’s outbuildings were used for storage.
When the sheriff’s deputies searched the farmhouse they found marijuana plants and seeds grown by Steven Ostipow, but his parents have denied knowledge of his illicit activities, their lawyers said.
That’s when the Ostipow’s property stored in the Shiawassee farmhouse and outbuildings were seized by the Saginaw County officers, despite Gerald and Royetta not being charged with any drug-related crimes.
The deputies seized dozens of animal mounts, tools, deer blinds and farm equipment from the farmhouse property. 
They also took a 1965 Chevy Nova SS that was being renovated and stored on a trailer..."
Read on!!