Anyone famliar with rules RE: Reposession?

[Jennasis]

Thankfully it isn't something I'm dealing with but...If you have something, say a truck, that is in danger of being repo'd (let's say you are in arears for payments for several months and you know that the repo guys are looking for it). Can the repo company take posession of the truck AND anything else that is attached to it, like a motor home or boat or trailer IF they cannot get the attached vehicle/trailer unhitched?

This has recently happened to a friend of mine. She seems intent on attempting to press theft charges against the repo company for confiscating the truck and camper that was attached to it. FWIW, the camper is also being sought by another repo company...

It DOES seem odd that the company could take property that wasn't being repo'd just to get to the vehicle they were after...but I amsure there are probably some laws/rules that enable them to do such things. The company did leave her their name, number and address so she could come collect the trailer and assured her it would be stored in their locked and secure impound lot.

 

[AKL_Megs]

My DF says that they probably took the truck and the camper with the intent of having them come pick up their camper once they got it unhitched from the truck.

Either way, it's legal what they did. It is ILLEGAL to not pay car payments. No court would think otherwise, especially if the camper was returned.

 

[lustergirl]

She can take possession of the trailer again. All she has to do is call the place and arrange a time to come pick it up. Unfortunately because of our economy alot of repossessions are going on- I feel bad for people.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

From what I know about it. The company that does repossessions gets a "preminum" or return for every one that they do, base on value, etc. and if the trailer was also under order for repossession, they could contact the company and do a "two-fer" repo.

If they repo a vehicle that has a lot of personal items it it, they are required to do an inventory, and allow the owner to retrieve those items as soon as convinent. If an item is attached, and they are unable to remove it prior to repossession, I believe that the same return policy would apply. Each state has laws governing the repossession of vehicles, and can most likely be viewed on-line.

I have watched several repossessions take place, and they are very quick, and very professional!!

 

[tonilea]

I think here the repo company can legally keep the contents of the vehicle. Most give them back, but I think they can keep it.

It sounds like she locked it to the trailer to prevent it from being repo'ed.

 

[Jennasis]

I have ZERO sympathy for the "friend" involved. However she's desperate to blame anyone else for her misery, so at the moment she's targeting the repo company for some perceievd wrongdoing. I told her to just forget it. She has no way to collect the camper since they took the truck. the trailer had an electric jack that required a key to lower it for unhitching and they didn't have the key for it. The truck and camper were left at my place, and she WAS at least kind enough to inform me that they "MIGHT be repo'd". Imagine how surprised I would've been had I not known when they called my house at 2am two days ago demanding we come and unhitch the dang thing.

Our phone number is on our farm sign out front. DH went down to see if he could help them (they were a tad surly) and warned him not to "try" anything since they had "aman in the truck and the engine was running and they'd just drive off with the whole BLEEPINg thing if he did".

DH laughed and said the stuff wasn't our and he couldn't give a hoot if they took it all and how can I help you fine gentleman? He also noted that they were armed. He DID try to help them unhitch it but again, without the key, there was no luck, so they took it all and left us the contact info which I passed on to the vehicles owner.

I kind of feel bad for the surly repo guys. I bet they get dealt a poop-storm all the time from angry people.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I had a friend who was seriously in default and avoiding the repo man. She'd park at our house and I'd drive her home (or she'd take a bus). She never left anything in her car because she was worried that if they found it the stuff would be repo'd, too.

She also parked a certain way because that would make it difficult to tow the car.

That's all I know about repos.

 

[AKL_Megs]

These kinds of companies have a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch your back" way of doing business, especially with other repo companies, the police, and the courts. If they were to sue the repo company, the courts wouldn't really be in favor of the person who couldn't pay their bills, and would be more in favor of the repo company doing their job and offering the camper back.

Your friend is lucky that they are even offering to give the camper back and not hand it over to the other repo company. Sounds like he/she needs to learn to pay his/her bills or not buy things.

 

[Jennasis]

Your friend is lucky that they are even offering to give the camper back and not hand it over to the other repo company. Sounds like he/she needs to learn to pay his/her bills or not buy things.

Amen to that! She's one of those its-always-somebody-elses-fault type people. I may be wrong, but though the vehicle was in her name, her well-off uncle gave her the money for the down payment and is, rightfully, PO'd that she's gotten so careless and into this mess.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Amen to that! She's one of those its-always-somebody-elses-fault type people. I may be wrong, but though the vehicle was in her name, her well-off uncle gave her the money for the down payment and is, rightfully, PO'd that she's gotten so careless and into this mess.

Especially if he co-signed any loans! A repo would also show up on his credit report!

 

[poohandwendy]

I have ZERO sympathy for the "friend" involved. However she's desperate to blame anyone else for her misery, so at the moment she's targeting the repo company for some perceievd wrongdoing. I told her to just forget it.

I think she is just prolonging the misery and humiliating herself further.

it's very, very unlikely the repo company did anything illegal. from what I understand, they cross their t's and dot their i's.

They left her a note, they are storing her trailer securely. She really has no reason to complain.