Seize accounts? Mar-a-Lago? How Letitia James can collect $454 million if Trump can't pay
Donald Trump,Politics,Letitia James,Mar-A-Lago,New York,2024 Presidential Election
New York Attorney General Letitia James could swiftly move in on former President Donald Trump's bank accounts and real estate if Trump doesn't put up $454 million or get a bond for the civil fraud judgment James won against him.
Trump's 30-day deadline to post a bond or deposit to block James from collecting while he appeals the verdict arrives Monday. It's not looking good for the real estate mogul: Trump's lawyers said earlier this week that 30 bonding companies have so far turned him down. The Trump legal team is pleading with a New York appeals court to issue an order that would block James from collecting until after his appeal runs out, which could take years.
Jocelyn Nager, a New York lawyer who focuses on debt collection and commercial litigation, told USA TODAY that James can freeze Trump's bank accounts quickly if she knows where they are by sending a subpoena to the bank or asking a marshal for an immediate levy on the bank.
"It is not instantaneous, but it's very quick. It's very fast. It's a question of how fast that document can be served on the bank," Nager said.
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