Asset forfeiture: "Asset forfeiture is a form of confiscation of assets by the state, pursuant to law. It typically applies to the alleged proceeds or instrumentalities of crime."
What bothers me about this practice is that a person's assets - possibly assets like a car, that the person depends on for their livelihood - can be seized without the person having been convicted of any crime. This seems to be a blatant violation of due process.
Probably not directly, but via the police. Remember that the article indicates that some sort of legal kerfuffle took place, and it may be reasonable to assume that at some point the police got involved. This makes sense as the man was suspected of being an illegal cab driver, in which case it is easy to seize the car as "evidence" or as an asset/instrument in the alleged crime.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_forfeiture
What bothers me about this practice is that a person's assets - possibly assets like a car, that the person depends on for their livelihood - can be seized without the person having been convicted of any crime. This seems to be a blatant violation of due process.