>> He's screwed in any case, as US property has immunity from 'ordinary
>> citizen' attachments, even if he could get a judgement.
 
> You just might be surprised.  While I doubt they could grab a nuclear
> device, if the judgement is big enough, then y might confiscate a ship
> or an aircraft.  It has been done before,  US propery or not.
 
You are quite right. Some years ago the luxury private B707 of an African
president landed at an airport here and was seized by a citizen because of
unpaid bills. The country in question continued to refuse paying the bills
and the plane was sold at an auction, now flying as a freighter in South
America.
 
In October 2004 one of those huge Antonov freighter-planes was seized at
Brussels airport by court-order because of unpaid bills by the government
of Ukraine. The plane stayed on the ground until February this year one
month short of being auctioned.
 
So should the US Government owe money to someone around here and refuse to
pay it, like seizing cash on the premisse of 'drug money' without being
able to prove their case it would be a 10-minute session in court to get a
court-order and seize a Boeing 767 of Delta or American Airlines and hold
it at US-cost of maintenance and parking-fees until a settlement can be
reached. I'm quite certain it would not take 24 hours to be reimbursed.
Together with the plane its content is also seized ... for example the
bagage of 180 passengers. Such things have been done before.
 
But as the saying goes, the soup is never eaten as hot as it is served.
 
 \%/{at}rd 

--- D'Bridge 2.41