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Trey Brister · 03-17-05, 01:09 PM

Property seized to pay drug tax
Bloomington Springs house first in state to be confiscated to pay new taxes on illegal drugs

Taxing illegal drugs -- State Dept. of Revenue Officer Robert Slatton, center, talks to Putnam Sheriff's Deputies Red Golden, left, and Cpl. Steve Flowers yesterday after posting red signs on this Bloomington Springs property notifying the owner that he owes state tax under a new law taxing illegal substances, such as the marijuana found on this property recently. The property is being seized pending payment of the tax. * H-C Photo/Ty Kernea
Mary Jo Denton
Herald-Citizen Staff

A Bloomington Springs house and the laProperty seized to pay drug taxnd it sits on yesterday became the first real estate in Tennessee to be seized for unpaid tax on illegal drugs. The property belongs to Jerry Palk, and the tax is for the marijuana crop that law officers found growing inside an unoccupied house there last month -- 80 marijuana plants three to four feet tall.

The taxing of the marijuana there and the seizing of the property to force payment of that tax are not connected to the criminal charges that are pending against Palk in the case.

The tax, a civil matter handled by the Tennessee Dept. of Revenue, comes from a new state law which, in effect, says to drug dealers: "The tax man is coming."

The tax, the total amount of which is not publicly disclosed in individual cases, is levied under a new law which went into effect this January taxing "unauthorized substances," namely marijuana, cocaine, crack, meth, and untaxed liquors and spirits.

The rate of the tax is as follows: $3.50 per gram for marijuana, $50 per gram for cocaine, $200 per gram for meth and crack cocaine, $50 "per 10 doses of low-street-value drug not sold by weight, and $200 per 10 doses of "controlled substance not sold by weight."

When the Dept. of Revenue taxes a drug possessor, that person has an opportunity to pay the tax, and then if it is not paid, agents may seize and auction off anything of value the person owns.

The taxing of the illegal substance does not have to await criminal conviction of the owner. Just the possession of the substance triggers the tax levy.

And the levying of the tax and collection of it have been going on in an enthusiastic way across the state since early January, with Putnam County making a list of "firsts" at least twice since then, officials say.

The very first piece of property seized for payment of the tax was a motorcycle belonging to a Shag Rag Road man who was arrested and charged with having a bag full of crystal meth on Jan. 11.

The criminal charges are still pending against Donnie Ray Jones, but the tax has been paid through sale of his motorcycle, according to the revenue agent who worked that case and is working others in this area.

He is Robert Slatton, an Unauthorized Substance case officer with the Dept. of Revenue, a 30-year veteran revenue agent who is now responsible for collecting the new tax in Putnam and 16 other area counties.

Slatton said the funds from the motorcycle sale are part of a total of $140,000 collected statewide from the new tax since January.

"We have 400 cases out right now for a total of $5.5 million in assessments under this new law," said Michael Waldrum, who is Unauthorized Substance manager for the Dept. of Revenue's Tax Enforcement Division.

"This tax is for people who are found in possession of these illegal substances, and it is not connected to any criminal prosecution," Slatton said. "We notify them that they owe the tax, and if they do not pay, we can proceed with collecting it by seizing cars, land, or other possessions."

What happens to the funds collected this way?

"Seventy five percent goes back to the law enforcement agency handling the case, and 25 percent goes to the state's general fund," Slatton said.

Some of those who get notified of the tax pay it right then, he said. Others do not and their property is seized for payment.

Slatton, who is a certified peace officer authorized to carry a weapon, along with Putnam Sheriff's Deputies Steve Flowers and Red Golden, went to the Bloomington Springs property yesterday to notify Jerry Palk that he owes the USUB tax.

However, he was not at home, and Slatton simply posted Dept. of Revenue signs making it known that the property is being seized by the state.

"If he pays the tax, the property will be released back to him," Slatton said.

Other cases Slatton has worked in this area include one in Pickett County where a person was charged with having untaxed liquor and one in Clay County where someone was charged with having moonshine whiskey.

The new state law specifies that its purpose is "to generate revenue for state and local law enforcement agencies for use to investigate, combat, prevent and reduce drug crimes, and for the general fund."

IrishRaver · 03-17-05, 01:39 PM

so...wait...if you pay the tax...like your supposed to...are they saying you can have in your possession illegal drugs and booze?
what?......
confused

03-17-05, 01:42 PM

no - its just a method to confiscate property/impose penalty

Hubb · 03-17-05, 03:08 PM

fucking lame to the 10th power

i bet there is a loophole with the right lawyer

Hey Bubu · 03-17-05, 03:59 PM

HAHAH not only do you get sent to jail (possibly at least) for possesion, but they tax yo' ass for possession. LMAO!! priceless.

DataBass · 03-17-05, 04:06 PM

The tax on some of those substances is 100% more then the street value.

Croix · 03-17-05, 05:57 PM

they found a way to tax illegal drugs and still keep them illegal.

ingenious

djetaine · 03-17-05, 07:43 PM

well, it actually makes a little sense. At least the IRS isnt busting you for tax evasion

thefncrow · 03-18-05, 07:05 PM

This is unfortunate, but, you need to understand, this has almost no effect on the convict himself, and is more of a political play for funding between the police and the state government.

Thanks to asset forfeiture laws, it was just about guaranteed that the house and most of the convict's assets would be seized by police. However, with this drug tax, it means that the state government gets to skim a value off the top. So, instead of house + assets going to the police department to dole out, the TN Dept. of Revenue takes a bunch off the top first, and then the police department gets whatever is left. Its a terrible step, and it further entrenches the highly dubious practice of asset forfeiture, but it changes nothing for the convict/victim of theft.

djetaine · 03-18-05, 07:54 PM

on a similar subject, has anyone seen the new drug stamps?
You can become a registered drug dealer in the state of texas and i think 8 or 9 other states and put little stamps on each of your bags of whatever (different stamps for different drugs) and you can get around the tax laws stated above. Now i cant imagine anyone would actually use them but its still pretty amusing.
Of course you could still be convicted of trafficing but you wouldnt get busted for tax evasion or anything.
plus the stamps are really cool looking!
http://www.flyingbuffalo.com/gifs/mjtex1.jpg

IrishRaver · 03-21-05, 10:08 AM

wtf....!?!?

03-21-05, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djetaine

on a similar subject, has anyone seen the new drug stamps?
You can become a registered drug dealer in the state of texas and i think 8 or 9 other states and put little stamps on each of your bags of whatever (different stamps for different drugs) and you can get around the tax laws stated above. Now i cant imagine anyone would actually use them but its still pretty amusing.
Of course you could still be convicted of trafficing but you wouldnt get busted for tax evasion or anything.
plus the stamps are really cool looking!
http://www.flyingbuffalo.com/gifs/mjtex1.jpg

wow - they'd be fun to have just for bizarre collector's purposes

how do I get some?

Deff Gordon · 03-22-05, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djetaine

on a similar subject, has anyone seen the new drug stamps?
http://www.flyingbuffalo.com/gifs/mjtex1.jpg

those have been around since the 1800's. or early 1900's

thefncrow · 03-22-05, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spoony m

those have been around since the 1800's. or early 1900's

Actually, this program is newer than that, if my memory serves me right. The one that was passed, oh, I think it was the 1930s or so, was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, because one of the provisions was that you had to produce the drugs to get the stamps, which meant you had to break the law in order to get the stamps in the first place.

djetaine · 03-22-05, 03:31 PM

actually i was wrong in my post where i said the "new" drug stamps. Yes they have been around for a long time but to my understanding people are just starting to sign up for them. There are about 15-20 registered drug dealers in the country, each of these are completly anonymous but most believe them to be stamp collectors.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xiannaix

wow - they'd be fun to have just for bizarre collector's purposes

how do I get some?

you can buy one from various websites. I found them by searching google for "drug tax stamp"
There are a bunch of different states but texas and indiana's are the coolest. They run about 35 dollars per stamp though which is tad bit pricey. The reason for the high price of the stamp is becuase these "registered dealers" have to pay a fee to register and also can only buy the stamps in sheets of 100.

03-17-05, 01:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
Trey Brister Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Mansfield / S. Arlington Area Posts: 535	Property seized to pay drug tax, Property seized to pay drug tax Bloomington Springs house first in state to be confiscated to pay new taxes on illegal drugs Taxing illegal drugs -- State Dept. of Revenue Officer Robert Slatton, center, talks to Putnam Sheriff's Deputies Red Golden, left, and Cpl. Steve Flowers yesterday after posting red signs on this Bloomington Springs property notifying the owner that he owes state tax under a new law taxing illegal substances, such as the marijuana found on this property recently. The property is being seized pending payment of the tax. * H-C Photo/Ty Kernea Mary Jo Denton Herald-Citizen Staff A Bloomington Springs house and the laProperty seized to pay drug taxnd it sits on yesterday became the first real estate in Tennessee to be seized for unpaid tax on illegal drugs. The property belongs to Jerry Palk, and the tax is for the marijuana crop that law officers found growing inside an unoccupied house there last month -- 80 marijuana plants three to four feet tall. The taxing of the marijuana there and the seizing of the property to force payment of that tax are not connected to the criminal charges that are pending against Palk in the case. The tax, a civil matter handled by the Tennessee Dept. of Revenue, comes from a new state law which, in effect, says to drug dealers: "The tax man is coming." The tax, the total amount of which is not publicly disclosed in individual cases, is levied under a new law which went into effect this January taxing "unauthorized substances," namely marijuana, cocaine, crack, meth, and untaxed liquors and spirits. The rate of the tax is as follows: $3.50 per gram for marijuana, $50 per gram for cocaine, $200 per gram for meth and crack cocaine, $50 "per 10 doses of low-street-value drug not sold by weight, and $200 per 10 doses of "controlled substance not sold by weight." When the Dept. of Revenue taxes a drug possessor, that person has an opportunity to pay the tax, and then if it is not paid, agents may seize and auction off anything of value the person owns. The taxing of the illegal substance does not have to await criminal conviction of the owner. Just the possession of the substance triggers the tax levy. And the levying of the tax and collection of it have been going on in an enthusiastic way across the state since early January, with Putnam County making a list of "firsts" at least twice since then, officials say. The very first piece of property seized for payment of the tax was a motorcycle belonging to a Shag Rag Road man who was arrested and charged with having a bag full of crystal meth on Jan. 11. The criminal charges are still pending against Donnie Ray Jones, but the tax has been paid through sale of his motorcycle, according to the revenue agent who worked that case and is working others in this area. He is Robert Slatton, an Unauthorized Substance case officer with the Dept. of Revenue, a 30-year veteran revenue agent who is now responsible for collecting the new tax in Putnam and 16 other area counties. Slatton said the funds from the motorcycle sale are part of a total of $140,000 collected statewide from the new tax since January. "We have 400 cases out right now for a total of $5.5 million in assessments under this new law," said Michael Waldrum, who is Unauthorized Substance manager for the Dept. of Revenue's Tax Enforcement Division. "This tax is for people who are found in possession of these illegal substances, and it is not connected to any criminal prosecution," Slatton said. "We notify them that they owe the tax, and if they do not pay, we can proceed with collecting it by seizing cars, land, or other possessions." What happens to the funds collected this way? "Seventy five percent goes back to the law enforcement agency handling the case, and 25 percent goes to the state's general fund," Slatton said. Some of those who get notified of the tax pay it right then, he said. Others do not and their property is seized for payment. Slatton, who is a certified peace officer authorized to carry a weapon, along with Putnam Sheriff's Deputies Steve Flowers and Red Golden, went to the Bloomington Springs property yesterday to notify Jerry Palk that he owes the USUB tax. However, he was not at home, and Slatton simply posted Dept. of Revenue signs making it known that the property is being seized by the state. "If he pays the tax, the property will be released back to him," Slatton said. Other cases Slatton has worked in this area include one in Pickett County where a person was charged with having untaxed liquor and one in Clay County where someone was charged with having moonshine whiskey. The new state law specifies that its purpose is "to generate revenue for state and local law enforcement agencies for use to investigate, combat, prevent and reduce drug crimes, and for the general fund." __________________ Warm Regards, Trey Brister Nature abhors a vacuum and religion is a powerful civilizing and socializing force. It is not perfect, but at least it does not deny human nature. Most leftest ideology is based upon the idea that evil is the result of social conditions/injustice, and simple misunderstandings. Man's nature is seen as both inherently good and infinitely malleable. It is believed that man can be made into something better through education and other social endeavors. The truth is that human nature is not inherently good and neither is terribly changable. Any system that denies the truth about human nature will be the victim of it. Communism is only one of the more horrific examples of this fundamental truth. I understand why you're a socialist. You want to make the world a better place. What you need to understand is that not everyone can be helped and those who can are best served by providing them with the opportunity to help themselves.

03-17-05, 03:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
Hey Bubu Funky Spunk Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: take a left at the cow Posts: 17,124	HAHAH not only do you get sent to jail (possibly at least) for possesion, but they tax yo' ass for possession. LMAO!! priceless. __________________ "We're so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget that the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it's all about." --Joseph Campbell,

03-17-05, 04:06 PM	#6 (permalink)
DataBass Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Frass Canyon Posts: 62,644	The tax on some of those substances is 100% more then the street value. __________________ Those pussies are ripe fer fuckin.

03-17-05, 05:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
Croix AnotherRoadsideAttraction Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Skeet Skeetville Posts: 6,023	they found a way to tax illegal drugs and still keep them illegal. ingenious __________________ Poor Vida Productions Audio \| Video \| Web \| Marketing www.poorvida.com http://myspace.com/croixdj http://myspace.com/poorvidarecords Watch for the new MC Astro album, hittin' the streets soon!

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03-17-05, 01:42 PM	#3 (permalink)
xiannaix Guest Posts: n/a	no - its just a method to confiscate property/impose penalty

03-18-05, 07:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
thefncrow Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 233	This is unfortunate, but, you need to understand, this has almost no effect on the convict himself, and is more of a political play for funding between the police and the state government. Thanks to asset forfeiture laws, it was just about guaranteed that the house and most of the convict's assets would be seized by police. However, with this drug tax, it means that the state government gets to skim a value off the top. So, instead of house + assets going to the police department to dole out, the TN Dept. of Revenue takes a bunch off the top first, and then the police department gets whatever is left. Its a terrible step, and it further entrenches the highly dubious practice of asset forfeiture, but it changes nothing for the convict/victim of theft.