Legal confusion over the seizure of two houses by the Jefferson County Drug Task Force is one step closer to being resolved.

The seizure of the houses date back to a drug bust in May 2010. More than two years later, the county is still encountering problems as it tries to sell the properties.

Jason Hanlin, an investigator with the Jefferson County Drug Task Force, told county commissioners on Thursday that the forfeiture process became drawn out during the investigation, leading to more than $4,600 in back taxes.

Hanlin explained to commissioners why the process was delayed.

"Traffickers will title their possessions, their car, their house, their bank accounts, in someone else's name to avoid forfeiture from law enforcement. What is different in this investigation is that between the arrest of our suspects and the prosecution of the case, the person who had titled the house is not who we arrested, and that actual person died in the process," he said.

Hanlin said the task force can't get clear property titles until after the back taxes are paid and said the way the procedure is set up, the task force cannot pay the taxes.

"We're asking (the county commission) to pay the taxes, either out of our forfeiture account or once those proceeds are gained from the auction and we can subtract that from those proceeds," Hanlin said.

He said the task force needs to get a letter from the Prosecutor's Office stating the way the task force intends to proceed and pay the back taxes legally.

"We know it is (legal) and we feel it is, but we just want that in a letter to put in a file," Hanlin said.

There is no time frame on when the county commissioners will receive word from the Prosecutor's Office about the legality of the proposed agreement.

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