CBP Seized Your Property? Here’s How to Get Help

T.F. Moroney

Oct 30

4 min read

When U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seizes your property or issues a penalty, you get a notice and a deadline. What you do next decides whether you get your property back. I spent nearly 30 years with U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and now I help people on the other side of that process. This guide explains the help available, how the petition process works, and when to act. It’s written for travelers, importers, trucking companies and small business owners.

Who Can Help With a CBP Seizure or Penalty?

You can handle a CBP case on your own, hire an attorney or customer broker, or get guidance from someone who knows the process from the inside. Now I help people understand what they’re facing and how to respond.

Here’s a common example. CBP seizes cash at the border because it wasn’t declared. A few weeks later, a Notice of Seizure arrives in the mail with a deadline. Most people don’t know what it means or what to do next. I explain what the notice says, what your options are, and what CBP weighs when it decides a petition. You stay in control of your case and decide the next step.

What does this help look like?

Explaining your Notice of Seizure or penalty notice in plain English

Walking you through your options and the deadlines tied to each one

Showing you how the petition process works and what CBP looks for

Helping you organize the documents that support your case

Pointing you to a licensed customs broker or attorney when your case needs one

Who is this for?

Travelers, trucking companies, importers and small business owners. Most don’t have a lawyer on call and don’t deal with CBP every day. When a seizure or penalty notice shows up, they need someone who can explain it clearly and fast.

A CBP bill notice indicating a substantial payment of around $90,000 is laid on a desk next to a pen and an open binder, while someone works on a nearby laptop.

Why Does Inside Experience With CBP Matter?

I’ve seen how seizure and penalty cases look from the government’s side. That view helps you respond with a clear picture instead of a guess.

Plain English. I explain CBP rules and notices without the jargon, so you know exactly what you’re dealing with.
Deadlines up front. Missing a deadline is one of the most common ways people lose property for good. I point out every date that matters and what happens if it passes.
What CBP weighs. Petitions are decided on facts and documents. I help you understand which facts matter to CBP and why.
An honest read. Not every case is strong. I’ll tell you straight what your options look like, so you can decide your next step with clear eyes.

Say CBP seized your truck over undeclared cargo. You’d learn what the notice means, what your options are and what CBP typically considers in a petition. You make the decisions and submit your own response. If your case needs a licensed customs broker or attorney, I’ll tell you that too.

Does Petition Guy Help With Other Government Notices?

Most of Petition Guy's work is CBP seizures and penalties, but the same rules applies to every government notice. Read it the day it arrives and find the deadline.

Take a $53 street sweeping ticket from Imperial Beach. It feels small, but it still gives you only 21 days to respond. A CBP Notice of Seizure works the same way, with a lot more at stake. They also support clients with state-level administrative challenges such as restraining orders, traffic violations, lease disputes, and workplace policy development.

If a parking or traffic citation could hit your personal budget or your business, Petition Guy can help you understand it, track the deadline and organize your paperwork.

Parking citation issued in Imperial Beach for street sweeping violations, with a fine of $53.00.

What Should You Do After Getting a Government Notice?

The first few days after a notice arrives matter most. Here’s what I tell everyone who calls Petition Guy.

Don’t wait. Your deadlines are counted from the notice, not from when you open it. Check the date the day it arrives or is placed on your windshield or taped to your door.
Gather your documents. Receipts, proof of ownership, bank records showing where cash came from, vehicle title and registration, or invoices for goods. Whatever shows the property is yours and legitimate.
Write down what happened. Date, time, port of entry, what was said and who said it. Do it while it’s fresh.

Keep copies of everything. Every letter from CBP, every page you send back, and the envelopes they came in.

Ask questions before you act. A rushed response can close off options you didn’t know you had.

The sooner you understand your notice, the more options you keep.

When Should You Call Petition Guy?

The best time is the day your notice arrives. The second best time is now. Every day you wait is a day off your deadline.

Today, Petition Guy helps travelers, trucking companies, importers and small business owners understand seizure and penalty notices, their options and the petition process. You stay in control of your case. I make sure you understand it.

If CBP has seized your property or sent you a penalty notice, don’t set it aside. Contact Petition Guy to talk through your notice and your next step.