Who Took My Car?

You leave your house in the morning and to drive to work. Suddenly, you realize that your car is no longer in the parking lot.

Four simple steps:

Find out who took your car and how to get it back.

1)  Was your vehicle repossessed or stolen

If you were behind on auto loan payments, it’s possible that your vehicle was repossessed by the lender. Even if you make a payment after several months of falling behind, your account may not be up to date.

Call your auto loan lender or local police department to confirm that your vehicle was repossessed and not stolen. Repossession agents should inform the local police department before the vehicle repossession takes place.

If your vehicle was repossessed, ask for specific details, such as which repossession company it was, where they are located, and when the police were notified.

2) Gather your auto loan contract

Locate the loan agreement that you signed when you purchased the vehicle. This agreement should provide details about your rights if your car is repossessed.  If you financed through a dealership, this is called a Retail Installment Sales Contract, or RISC.

After repossession, if you are unable to locate a copy of the loan agreement, you could request a copy of it from your lender, or, contact the dealership where the vehicle was purchased.  If any of your documents were inside the vehicle at the time of repossession, you should be able to retrieve them by following these steps.

Your loan agreement will say whether you have to pay off the entire balance of the loan, or only the past due payments. In addition to these payments, the lender may also ask you to pay for any storage or towing fees.

3) Gather Repossession Letters sent from the Lender

After the repossession, the lender sends the borrower a repossession notice called a Notice of Intent to Sell Property.  This letter states terms to get the vehicle back.

Once the vehicle is sold, the lender will provide a Deficiency Notice that tells the borrower whether or not a balance is owed to satisfy the loan.

4) Seek Help from Experienced Consumer Lawyers

Remember, whether you were behind on payments or not, repossession agents have to follow certain laws when they repossess your vehicle. If you think any aspect of your case may be considered an unlawful vehicle repossession, Contact Flitter Milz, for a free legal evaluation of whether your vehicle was wrongfully repossessed.