Foreclosure and the seizure of assets are actions that need to be approved by a court of law. This can take months. The debtor(s) have been notified in writing of the pending procedures and have either appeared in court or have had other legal representation.
The feds don't just knock on the door and start carting away your goodies.
Since a town is real estate that can confiscated by the feds that would have been the logical place to start the seizure, not the debtor's principal dwelling and it's contents.