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Financial company repo my car

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Bonnie A

Junior Member
Does anyone know the rights that we have as to how the company can come in the middle of the night and take your vehicle and not let you know and not be able to get your belongings out and not get your license plate off?
 


quincy

Senior Member
Does anyone know the rights that we have as to how the company can come in the middle of the night and take your vehicle and not let you know and not be able to get your belongings out and not get your license plate off?
What is the name of your state, Bonnie A?

Have you ever read the book, "The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man" by W. Bruce Cameron? It is probably more fun to read than the contract you signed when you purchased your vehicle.

The contract you signed allows for repossession of the vehicle when you fall behind in your payments.

Most companies, however, do not want to repossess a vehicle. They prefer to work out a payment plan with the purchaser of the car. Unfortunately, some (many? most?) purchasers who avoid making payments also avoid phone calls and letters coming from those to whom they owe money. One recourse a company has when other arrangements cannot be made is to repossess the vehicle - even in the middle of the night.

Often when a vehicle is repossessed, the vehicle-purchaser is handed their belongings and their license plate - but these can be picked up at the yard where the car has been towed.
 

adjusterjack

Senior Member
Does anyone know the rights that we have as to how the company can come in the middle of the night and take your vehicle and not let you know
They let you know in your finance contract that they would do that if you didn't pay. Didn't you read that part? That was all the notice that was necessary.

not be able to get your belongings out and not get your license plate off?
You should be able to get that stuff from wherever the car is. Call up and find out.
 

quincy

Senior Member
They do that so you won't hide the car.
People apparently can take extreme measures to protect their vehicles from being repossessed, by not only hiding the vehicles but by parking where tow trucks can't easily access them (e.g., wedged between other cars or large objects) and by having alarm systems and wheel and tire locks.

Of course, while these steps might prevent an unexpected night-time tow, if one actually wants to drive their vehicle at some point in time, the "repo man" will eventually find it, hook it up and tow it away. It tends to be a whole heck of a lot easier just to make the car payments on your car loan or make payment arrangements with the lender.

With that said, there ARE some things that repo men cannot do legally (like using physical force or entering locked garages). Here is consumer information on vehicle repossession from the Federal Trade Commission: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0144-vehicle-repossession
 

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