9:00 PM and the doorbell rings

[Belle0101]

DH answered it. It was a repo guy looking for our old neighbor, specifically their car. He showed DH a picture of the car, told him the make and model, told him where the husband last reported working. All his info was correct.

DH told the guy that yes, they used to live in the house next door but they were renting and had moved some time back. But that was all he knew.

DH said he was nice about everything. Not like the folks on the Reality TV Repo Shows.

 

[castleview]

DH answered it. It was a repo guy looking for our old neighbor, specifically their car. He showed DH a picture of the car, told him the make and model, told him where the husband last reported working. All his info was correct.

DH told the guy that yes, they used to live in the house next door but they were renting and had moved some time back. But that was all he knew.

DH said he was nice about everything. Not like the folks on the Reality TV Repo Shows.

I think most are. There are rules to the repo game - something good connivers and con artists are well aware of. Technically (I could be wrong) you need a judge's order to repossess a car - I worked in a building where one scam artist (many stories about that "business owner") threw that in a repo man's face. The police came and said that was correct. The repo man left, the police told the guy "just letting you know, he'll probably come back in the middle of the night." And he did.

 

[RachaelA]

DH answered it. It was a repo guy looking for our old neighbor, specifically their car. He showed DH a picture of the car, told him the make and model, told him where the husband last reported working. All his info was correct.

DH told the guy that yes, they used to live in the house next door but they were renting and had moved some time back. But that was all he knew.

DH said he was nice about everything. Not like the folks on the Reality TV Repo Shows.

Did you know Operation Repo is actually a fake show? Its "based on real experiences." DH and I watch an all day marathon one weekend and then someone told us that.

 

[tvguy]

Did you know Operation Repo is actually a fake show? Its "based on real experiences." DH and I watch an all day marathon one weekend and then someone told us that.

No secret there. The first graphic they put up at the top of the show says they are reenactments.

 

[Belle0101]

All I knew about the TV repo people is what they show on commercials and that's none too flattering. I guess that's why it suprised me so much when DH said the guy was really nice and polite.

Still it scared me when the doorbell rang so late. I know 9:00 PM is only late in comparison to where you live. Here in our tiny little town they start rolling the sidewalks up at dusk. Seriously. Pretty much by 9 everything is closed, 10 at the latest.

 

[3boymthr]

And the agency reposessing the car has to send you what's called a "CURE" letter (It's an acronym - I forget what it stands for but it's a federal law that this has to be sent out) 21 days before they start the repossession process and you have until the end of that day to redeem the car and even if they start the repossession process you can still redeem the car you just have to pay everything that's in arrears plus the fees for drafting and sending the letter (which is sent certified) and this is the really scary part - they can repossess your car even if you only owe $5. I worked for GMAC at one time back in the 1980s. My job - sending out those lovely CURE letters. While I was there they repossessed a car for the late fees - a whopping $20.

And while it may not be quite as dramatic as it is portrayed on TV there absolutely can be some serious drama with car repossession. One time a customer called screaming because they were repossessing her car and she needed it because she was in labor and needed to get to the hospital. The repo guy got on the phone with the collections agent and confirmed this was true. - she was in his words - standing in a puddle and looked to be in pain The collections agent had another one call an ambulance and as soon she was on the ambulance the repo guy took the car. The collections agent stayed on the phone with the customer until the ambulance arrived. This whole drama went on for over an hour.

 

[disneymarie]

DH answered it. It was a repo guy looking for our old neighbor, specifically their car. He showed DH a picture of the car, told him the make and model, told him where the husband last reported working. All his info was correct.

DH told the guy that yes, they used to live in the house next door but they were renting and had moved some time back. But that was all he knew.

DH said he was nice about everything. Not like the folks on the Reality TV Repo Shows.

Just doing their job for the lender. If you watch the end of that repo show it has a disclaimer that the stories are re-enactments based on reported incidents. All a put on....Reality TV.

 

[sasywtch]

And the agency reposessing the car has to send you what's called a "CURE" letter (It's an acronym - I forget what it stands for but it's a federal law that this has to be sent out) 21 days before they start the repossession process and you have until the end of that day to redeem the car and even if they start the repossession process you can still redeem the car you just have to pay everything that's in arrears plus the fees for drafting and sending the letter (which is sent certified) and this is the really scary part - they can repossess your car even if you only owe $5. I worked for GMAC at one time back in the 1980s. My job - sending out those lovely CURE letters. While I was there they repossessed a car for the late fees - a whopping $20.

I certainly believe you because GMAC repossessed my car for ZERO late fees, on time payments. I had to pay the towing fee, the storage fee, the itemization of the stuff in the car fee but first I had to go to the GMAC office to get the release and the people there couldn't figure it out either. I ended up getting all the money back. Oh, I also had to go to the sheriff's dept to get the hold off. The embarassing part was I had to call my work (the sheriff's department at the time), I was bawling, they came and picked me up in a squad car to take me downtown to get the release off. All the non sworn knew each other so they were laughing at me. I didn't have to pay the $10 to release that at least. **used an "out of service car". A little embarassing to drive up to pick up your car in a cop car. 20 years later I still remember the guy's name from GMAC as he was a jerk, BRENT. I don't know if they still do that but once the reposess your car, they contact the local police so if you call to report your car stolen, the police tell you it's been repossed.

 

[SandrA9810]

I watched a repo happen, took all of a few minutes. My aunt and I went to the mailbox at her old apartment, the car was already pulled in backwards. The tow truck just swooped right in, lowered the lift (it wasn't a flat bed, just the one that lifts the front wheels). Then was gone in two seconds after securing the front wheels. We both stood there in disbelief of how fast they really work.

 

[Dax]

Repo's are common in my area...Its not to uncommon to hear squeeling tires in the middle of the night of them doing a repo. We watched one get repo'd off the street. They were gone in less than 5min. They stopped later down the road to resecure the car, and stop it from damaging the vehicle.

 

[tvguy]

Repo's are common in my area...Its not to uncommon to hear squeeling tires in the middle of the night of them doing a repo. We watched one get repo'd off the street. They were gone in less than 5min. They stopped later down the road to resecure the car, and stop it from damaging the vehicle.

I don't think most repos are as dramatic as seen on TV. I read somewhere that most folks just drive the car to the place the lender tells them to take it to and turn it in.
And my neighbor actually scheduled an appointment with the repo company, and helped them load it on the flatbed tow truck.

 

[YodaGirl]

I know a family who owns a repo business. They're really nice people.

 

[hereyago]

My thing is knocking on someone's door at 9pm unannounced. I would not be opening the door, i'd talk through a door, but not open it. There has been a rash of robberies of people knocking on the door, even in the day light, person goes to open up the door, they come crashing through.

 

[aprilgail2]

I watched a repo happen, took all of a few minutes. My aunt and I went to the mailbox at her old apartment, the car was already pulled in backwards. The tow truck just swooped right in, lowered the lift (it wasn't a flat bed, just the one that lifts the front wheels). Then was gone in two seconds after securing the front wheels. We both stood there in disbelief of how fast they really work.

During work we stopped one day for pizza and parked out in the street where it was legal. There was a lot next door that said parking only for whatever business that was "all others will be towed at the owners expense". We watched a guy pull in- walk across the street to get some pizza- he had barely stepped into the pizza place and a tow truck zipped in, lowered the lift and had that car gone before he walked out with his piece of pizza!

 

[disneymom2evie]

My car was re-po'd. I lost my job in Jan. 09 and they took it in Oct. 09. I was fully expecting it. The guy was very nice (aside from the thought that he had been following me for a few days). I was outside with my sister and dad putting up Halloween decorations and had to stop to pick my daughter up from pre-school. I pulled in the drive way with her and then a blue truck and another car pulled up and blocked the driveway. As soon as they blocked the driveway, I knew exactly who they were. He was very nice and allowed me to get my daughter inside and occupied with a movie and a snack and let my empty the car out. My dad tried (accidentally) to set the house on fire the day before so when the house filled with smoke, I grabbed everything important and threw it in the back of the car. I had my wedding dress, ins. papers, Evie's clothes, lots of stuff. He could have told me "No, you can't get your things" but he was nice about it. He told me that he waited until Friday after I got my daughter to school to get the car, even though he was supposed to get it Wednesday. I thanked him for letting me get my girl to and from school and he told me he has a young daughter, also, so he knows how important school is. Didn't stop my tears from flowing. The car I have now was pain full in cash, so I don't have to worry about not being able to make my payments. =)
Some re-po guys are very nice and courteous. I'm sure there are some morons out there who don't take anything but the final pay off into consideration.