Since the new rules on remote foreclosure came into force in 2022, the number of foreclosures carried out by the Kronofogden with the help of the police has increased sharply.
It is often about criminal persons with debts to the Crown Bailiff and who have no assets on paper, but who can be found with branded clothes, luxury cars and cash in connection with, for example, police checks.
An internal report from the Kronofogden showed major shortcomings with the handling of remote foreclosures. Among other things, the authority had difficulty selling the valuables. Something that TV4 Nyheterna previously reported on.
“There are more branded copies, clothes that are torn and dirty,” the agency wrote in the report.
Fake copies on auction
In the past, the Kronofogden has had professional appraisers value the objects to be sold at auction on the authority’s website. They have special expertise in, among other things, antiques and design objects and are used by both private individuals and companies to determine the value of various objects – for example in cases of bankruptcy and estate division.
But now TV4 Nyheterna can tell you that the Kronofogden has stopped hiring appraisers before the auctions – because it is too expensive.
This has led to fake copies being sold on the website – at the same price as genuine goods.
An appraiser that TV4 Nyheterna spoke to found several examples of fake copies at the Auction Square where the authority sells the exhausted luxury clothing. This includes, among other things, jackets from prestige brands.
– Most are fake copies from other countries such as Turkey, says an appraiser who wishes to remain anonymous.
Vest worth 500 sold for 6,000
A clear example is a branded waistcoat by the luxury brand Moncler that the authority auctions on the website.
– It is so clear that it can be seen in the pictures, says the appraiser and adds:
– It is very frivolous for an authority to sell fake copies.
The value of the fake branded vest is approximately SEK 500, according to the appraiser. But the authority has valued the copy at SEK 6,000.
TV4 Nyheterna has also had the valuation firm Exklusiv Värdering, which are experts in branded clothing, assess the authenticity of the Moncler vest. And even they make the assessment that it is not authentic.
– It is extremely common with copies and they just get better and better, so I understand that it happens, but what becomes clear is that you have not taken the help of a professional valuer, says Nicole Borja at Exklusiv Värdering.
– It becomes unsafe for the person who is going to buy the item. A fake item is always valued at zero regardless of what it is, and it is illegal to sell fake copies, she continues.
Crown bailiff: “Regrettable”
Kronofogden’s section manager, Thomas Sjöstrand, knows the problem with branded copies. He believes that the authority itself has the opportunity to assess the authenticity, but that it can be difficult to avoid mistakes.
– We cannot one hundred percent guarantee that an item is genuine, says Thomas Sjöstrand, to TV4 Nyheterna.
– It is regrettable if that happens. But you can always ask for compensation if you happen to do so, he continues.