In 1991, Maui police officers showed up at the home of Frances and Joseph Lopes. One officer showed his badge and said, “Let’s go into the house, and we will explain things to you.” Once he was inside, the explanation was simple: “We’re taking the house.”
Source: Joe Biden: Father of the Drug War's Asset Forfeiture Program | Mises Wire
People generally think (if they think about it at all) that civil asset forfeiture only affects bad people. However, this is far from the truth. As this story and many like it demonstrate, it is also used as a money making endeavor by police departments all over the country. The worst part is that there is no due process involved. You do not have to be proven guilty of anything in order to have your assets seized.