Repossessions are on the rise. Banks are impatient. Lenders have sold the paper downstream. Loan servicers and debt collectors have little compassion these days when payments are even slightly behind. The repo man is hungry, too. In our consumer protection law practice, we see an increasing number of people who say, “Gee, I only missed a payment or two – and they took the truck!” They walked out to their curb or carport at dawn, to take the kids to school or themselves to work, and the family car had simply vanished.
Unfortunately, the vehicle is often not the only thing taken. The suddenness and stealth of the repo process leaves the borrower unprepared for loss of the personal items many people normally just leave locked inside. What about that laptop lying on the back seat? Your special baseball glove or soccer uniform? Your baby’s security blanket? One of our clients lost her family Bible that she always kept in the glove box. All too many of us keep important vehicle documents tucked in the owner’s manual: purchase contract, window sticker, repair history. And what about that wad you stuff in the console just in case you can’t get to an ATM? Limit that cache of cash to parking meter change. Other than the DMV-required registration and insurance card, anything that could be the source of identity theft should be kept safe in the house. And then there are the kids…
The taking doesn’t have to be at night to become a nightmare. Last year a couple in Texas had momentarily left their two children sound asleep in their car seats, while they took some items into the house. The speedy repo man didn’t notice the car seats were occupied until he was well down the road, with the frantic parents in panicked pursuit. Just last month the San Jose Mercury News reported Isabel Luevano’s horror when her car, with 2 year old son Cyrus still in it, disappeared from the driveway. Only 17 days late on her payment, she thought her Honda had been stolen and her son kidnapped. A police helicopter search ensued. It’s a day Isabel Luevano will not soon forget.
The repossessor is supposed to secure personal effects and return them on request, sometimes with storage fees. But a lot of things get lost in the process, and you will have to prove what was inside. In certain circumstances, there are legal claims that can be made to recover lost property, but prevention is something we always advise.
Take a moment now to consider: What do I leave in my car that I really can’t afford to lose? What would I leave in my car if I couldn’t lock the trunk or door? Take it out of your car or truck now. With your children safe in their beds, you’ll sleep better tonight.
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Repossess My Car But Not My Kids
Repossessions are on the rise. Banks are impatient. Lenders have sold the paper downstream. Loan servicers and debt collectors have little compassion these days when payments are even slightly behind. The repo man is hungry, too. In our consumer protection law practice, we see an increasing number of people who say, “Gee, I only missed a payment or two – and they took the truck!” They walked out to their curb or carport at dawn, to take the kids to school or themselves to work, and the family car had simply vanished.
Unfortunately, the vehicle is often not the only thing taken. The suddenness and stealth of the repo process leaves the borrower unprepared for loss of the personal items many people normally just leave locked inside. What about that laptop lying on the back seat? Your special baseball glove or soccer uniform? Your baby’s security blanket? One of our clients lost her family Bible that she always kept in the glove box. All too many of us keep important vehicle documents tucked in the owner’s manual: purchase contract, window sticker, repair history. And what about that wad you stuff in the console just in case you can’t get to an ATM? Limit that cache of cash to parking meter change. Other than the DMV-required registration and insurance card, anything that could be the source of identity theft should be kept safe in the house. And then there are the kids…
The taking doesn’t have to be at night to become a nightmare. Last year a couple in Texas had momentarily left their two children sound asleep in their car seats, while they took some items into the house. The speedy repo man didn’t notice the car seats were occupied until he was well down the road, with the frantic parents in panicked pursuit. Just last month the San Jose Mercury News reported Isabel Luevano’s horror when her car, with 2 year old son Cyrus still in it, disappeared from the driveway. Only 17 days late on her payment, she thought her Honda had been stolen and her son kidnapped. A police helicopter search ensued. It’s a day Isabel Luevano will not soon forget.
The repossessor is supposed to secure personal effects and return them on request, sometimes with storage fees. But a lot of things get lost in the process, and you will have to prove what was inside. In certain circumstances, there are legal claims that can be made to recover lost property, but prevention is something we always advise.
Take a moment now to consider: What do I leave in my car that I really can’t afford to lose? What would I leave in my car if I couldn’t lock the trunk or door? Take it out of your car or truck now. With your children safe in their beds, you’ll sleep better tonight.