In Re Forfeiture of One 1987 GMC Station Wagon

Defendant Levon Industries, Inc., the registered owner of a 1987 gmc station wagon, appeals as of right from a default judgment entered in the Lenawee Circuit Court on December 15, 1988, which resulted in the forfeiture of the vehicle. The principal question raised on appeal is whether it was error for the trial court to impose as a sanction on the defendant owner a default judgment on the basis of the driver’s failure to proceed with discovery in the civil forfeiture proceedings. We answer that question in the affirmative and reverse._•__

On April 4, 1987, Douglas Frederick Derderian was…