Crypto is Asset that Can be Seized
The man’s parking violations are considered “unattended vehicle.” The Kyoto Prefectural Police explained that the term means “a vehicle that is illegally parked, with its driver away from the car, and which cannot be started immediately. This is regardless of the length of parking time, or whether the vehicle engine is turned on or off, or whether the emergency flashing lights on or off.”
Japanese Police Seize Cryptocurrency for Parking ViolationsUsually, “Land, houses, automobiles, bank savings, salary, and life insurance payouts could be seized, based on the decision of the Public Safety Commission,” the police clarified.
However, in the case of the 59-year-old, the Hyogo Prefectural Police “did not know his place of work and [he] had no cash deposits or savings,” the publication conveyed. Citing that the revised fund settlement act that legalizes cryptocurrency as a means of payment enables the police to seize crypto assets, the news outlet elaborated:
According to the prefectural police, after [crypto] asset value was recognized by the revised fund settlement law enforced in April last year, it [cryptocurrency] was judged as an asset that can be seized.
The Hyogo Prefectural Police have been increasingly active in collecting unpaid fines and have seized small items including an automatic mahjong table, golf bags, figurines, and brand name goods, the Kobe Shimbun described. The division says that they will not allow violators “to escape since it will be unfair for the people who are paying [the fines].”
Editor’s Note: Nathalie Stucky contributed to this article.
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