Illinois Statutes Chapter 35. Revenue § 128/1-105. Hearings regarding seized cigarettes and cigarette machines

§ 1-105. Hearings regarding seized cigarettes and cigarette machines. After seizing any cigarettes or cigarette machines, as provided in Section 1-100 of this Act, the Department shall hold a hearing and shall determine whether such cigarettes, at the time of their seizure by the Department, were contraband cigarettes, or whether such cigarette machines, at the time of their seizure by the Department, contained or made contraband cigarettes. The Department shall give not less than 7 days' notice of the time and place of such hearing to the owner of such property, if he is known, and also to the person in whose possession the property so taken was found, if such person is known and if such person in possession is not the owner of said property. In case neither the owner nor the person in possession of such property is known, the Department shall cause publication of the time and place of such hearing to be made at least once in each week for 3 weeks successively in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where such hearing is to be held.

If, as the result of such hearing, the Department determines that the cigarettes seized were, at the time of seizure, contraband cigarettes, or that any cigarette machine at the time of its seizure contained or made contraband cigarettes, the Department shall enter an order declaring such cigarettes or such cigarette machine confiscated and forfeited to the State, and to be held by the Department for disposal as provided in this Section. The Department shall give notice of such order to the owner of such property if he is known, and also to the person in whose possession the property so taken was found, if such person is known, and if such person in possession is not the owner of the property. In case neither the owner nor the person in possession of such property is known, the Department shall cause publication of such order to be made at least once in each week for 3 weeks successively in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where such hearing was held.

When any cigarettes or any cigarette machine shall have been declared forfeited to the State by the Department, as provided hereunder, and when all proceedings for the judicial review of the Department's decision have terminated, the Department shall, to the extent that its decision is sustained on review, destroy or maintain and use such property in an undercover capacity.