In wake of class action filing, Philadelphia DA drops effort to forfeit some homes
Two Philadelphia families whose homes were targeted for forfeiture by the Philadelphia district attorney’s office have won their battle to stay in their homes.
After homeowners Christos “Chris” Sourovelis, 52, and Doila Welch, 47, became lead plaintiffs in a class action against the city, the DA’s office decided not to pursue forfeiture in their cases, the Philadelphia Daily News reports.
Philadelphia magazine and the Washington Free Beacon also have stories.
The Sourovelis family was targeted after a son was arrested; he was accused of trying to make a $40 drug sale outside. There is reportedly no proof his parents knew that he was allegedly trying to do so.
Similarly, Welch says she had no knowledge that her estranged husband was allegedly trying to sell small amounts of drugs from her home. She spends most of her time upstairs because of a disability, the Daily News reports.
“I’ve lived in Philadelphia for over 30 years. I never thought it was possible for the police to just show up at my doorstep without notice and take my house when I’ve done nothing wrong,” said Sourovelis. “But that’s exactly what happened to me and my family—and we’re not alone. That’s why we’re going to keep fighting for everyone still trapped in Philadelphia’s civil forfeiture nightmare.”
Critics say the forfeiture program is too aggressive, taking homes from individuals who may not even have been criminally charged with little court process. They also point to its role as a generator of millions of dollars in revenue for the city.
However, the office of district attorney Seth Williams contends it is operating as it is supposed to.
“The class-action lawyers are trying to portray today’s events as some sort of victory. The truth is that we resolve most of our real estate forfeiture actions by agreement, just as we are doing here, and we have been doing that since long before this lawsuit was filed,” says the DA’s office in a written statement provided to the Daily News.
Meanwhile, the program serves an important purpose of protecting public safety and helping to alleviate “rampant drug dealing” in neighborhoods, the statement continues.
“We are pleased that Christos’ and Doila’s families will be able to enjoy their homes for the holidays,” said attorney Darpana Sheth of the Institute for Justice in a Thursday press release. “Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many other Philadelphia families. Philadelphia law enforcement continues to use its system of robo-forfeitures to pad its budgets with millions in unaccountable funds by stripping innocent people of their rights and property.”
The institute is representing the plaintiffs in the class action, which was filed with three lead plaintiffs, including Sourovelis and Welch.
