City of Pendleton v. One 1998 Dodge Stratus 4 Door

In this in rem civil forfeiture action, claimants Dan and Becky Jones 1 appeal from a judgment forfeiting a 1998 Dodge Stratus to plaintiff City of Pendleton. Claimants argue, inter alia, that the trial court erroneously rejected their “innocent owner” defense to forfeiture pursuant to ORS 475A.085. 2 We conclude that claimant Dan Jones never had an ownership interest in the Stratus and, thus, could not assert the “innocent owner” affirmative defense. We further conclude that, while claimant Becky Jones is listed as a co-owner on the Stratus’s certificate of title, the evidence is sufficient…