Green’s Dictionary of Slang

having had one’s possessions removed by law.

1877		Shoreditch Obs. 24 Nov. n.p.: The hostility to the Committee has been unbounded on the part of the ‘brokered’ Vestrymen.
1894		Dly Gaz. for Middlesborough 1 Oct. 4/4: She was in arrears with her rent, and was threatened to be ‘brokered’.
1897		Daily Tel. 20 Nov. in Ware (1909) 49/1: Defendant complained that she had been ‘brokered’ by mistake, and that she had to go out to wash to help pay this debt.