[HPforGrownups] Bank Accounts (was Gringotts Bank)

[Scott Northrup]

No: HPFGUIDX 50547


> I'm no lawyer, but I'm pretty sure this doesn't happen in the US.
> I'd think that Sirius' accounts and real property would simply sit
> around until he died. If he, or any convict, died in prison and he
> had left a will behind, I'd think the property and money would go to
> whoever was specified in the will. And, if he died intestate, with no
> next-of-kin, then the MoM could do what they wished with the assets.


I'm not a lawyer either, but I think that if you're convicted of
"racketerring activity," your assets can be siezed under RICO ("RACKETEER
INFLUENCED AND CORRUPT ORGANIZATIONS") laws, which are mainly in place to
fight organized crime, but I believe the US government has a tendency to be,
uh, flexible with this law.  From what I've seen, "racketeering activity" is
somewhat broad:

        Any act or threat involving murder, kidnapping, gambling, arson,
robbery, bribery,
       extortion, dealing in obscene matter, or dealing in a controlled
       substance or listed chemical (as defined in section 102 of the
       Controlled Substances Act), which is chargeable under State law and
       punishable by imprisonment for more than one year.

Maybe someone who IS a lawyer could help us out.  Of course, this is only in
the US.  I've not the slighest idea if it's similar in the UK.  But under US
law, I could easily see Sirius's assets being seized (he was imprisoned
without "trial"), but really, who knows what the MoM is thinking.  It's
probably not as simple.

Or, maybe it's too simple; the vault can only be opened with the key, so it
would be impossible to seize anyone's funds unless you managed to get their
key.  *sigh* I suppose JKR only knows for sure.

-Scott
(so if I missed the ball with those RICO laws, remember, I'm a math major;
if you need help with your computer or a calculus problem, I'll be sure to
chime in with my expert opinion ;)