If property is released to a lienholder in a forfeiture case, the lienholder typically must pay:

• A. Nothing
• B. Court costs only
• C. Reasonable storage and towing fees
• D. Full market value

Answer: (C)

When property seized in forfeiture is released to a lienholder, the lienholder typically must cover the government’s costs to preserve the asset, specifically reasonable storage and towing fees. The government incurred these expenses to safeguard the asset while it was under seizure, and releasing the property does not absolve that financial responsibility. The lienholder, as the party with the security interest, usually steps in to pay those preservation costs as a condition of taking possession.

This isn’t nothing—the government’s storage and towing charges need to be paid. It isn’t about court costs, which are separate procedural expenses, and it isn’t about paying the full market value of the property, which isn’t the standard obligation in this scenario.