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Chappell v. United States
District Court, W.D. Missouri (2000) | 119 F. Supp. 2d 1013; 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16599
TL;DR: Purchasers of a forfeited vehicle from the government discovered $82,000 hidden in the gas tank. The court held the money was abandoned property, and title vested in the purchasers as innocent owners when their agent (a mechanic) found it, defeating the government's subsequent forfeiture claim.
Legal Significance: This case illustrates the application of common law finders' principles (lost, mislaid, and abandoned property) to assets discovered after a government forfeiture sale, establishing that an agent's find vests ownership in the principal, who can then qualify as an innocent owner.