Administrative forfeiture. (1) Personal property seized as subject to forfeiture under the internal revenue laws and this part which has an appraised value of $2,500.00 or less shall be forfeited to the United States in administrative forfeiture proceedings except as otherwise provided in this section.

If the Commissioner or his delegate seizes personal property which is forfeitable under the internal revenue laws and this part and which in his opinion is valued at $2,500.00 or less, he shall cause a list containing a particular description of the seized property to be prepared in duplicate and an appraisal thereof to be made by three sworn appraisers, selected by the Commissioner or his delegate, who shall be respectable and disinterested citizens of the United States residing within the internal revenue district wherein the seizure was made. Such list and appraisement shall be properly attested by the Commissioner or his delegate and such appraisers.

If such forfeitable personal property is found by the appraisers to be of the value of $2,500.00 or less, the Commissioner or his delegate shall publish a notice once a week for three consecutive weeks, in some newspaper of the judicial district where property was seized, describing the articles and stating the time, place, and cause of their seizure, and requiring any person claiming them to appear and make such claim within 30 days from the date of the first publication of such notice.

Any person claiming the personal property so seized, within the time specified in the notice, may file with the District Director of the internal revenue district in which the property was seized a claim, stating his interest in the articles seized, and may execute a bond to the United States in the penal sum of $250, conditioned that, in case of condemnation of the articles so seized, the obligors shall pay all the costs and expenses of the proceedings to obtain such condemnation. The District Director shall transmit such claim, together with the duplicate list or description of the property seized, to the United States Attorney for the district in which such property was seized. Both the claim and the cost bond should be executed in quadruplicate.

Judicial condemnation. Personal property seized as subject to forfeiture under the internal revenue laws and this part which has an appraised value of more than $2,500 and such seized property which has an appraised value of $2,500 or less with respect to which a bond has been filed pursuant to paragraph (a)(4) of this section, shall be forfeited to the United States in judicial condemnation proceedings, as authorized by the Director, General Legal Services Division, Office of Chief Counsel, Internal Revenue Service, or his delegate.