If your car has been repossessed, there are important steps for the borrower to take. Acting quickly can help you protect your rights as a consumer. As well, it can assist in finding the location of the vehicle and present options to get it back.
1. Contact your lender first.
The lender is the financial institution that ordered the repossession, so they should be able to tell you right away if your car was taken and which repossession company has the car. In most cases, this is the fastest way to learn where your car is and how much money you might have to pay to get it back.
2. Contact the Local Police Department
You can also contact your local police department. Because most people assume their car was stolen when it’s not where they left it, repo companies usually report repossessions to the police, so the police may have a record of the event. This can help confirm that your car was not stolen and was instead repossessed.
3. Request Details from the Lender
Once repossession is confirmed, ask your lender for specific details. You should request the name of the repossession company, the address where the vehicle is being stored, and a phone number for the storage location.
Repossessed vehicles are usually taken to a storage lot or impound yard and held there until the lender decides to sell the vehicle at a private sale or auction.
It is important to gather this information as soon as possible. Delays can make it harder to take action and may result in additional fees being added to the amount of money required to get your vehicle back.
4. How to Retrieve Personal Property
Even after repossession, your personal property inside the vehicle still belongs to you. In most states, the repossession company must allow you to recover your personal items for at least thirty days after the repo. Make sure to retrieve your property within that time so you don’t risk losing it.
5. Must I sign a release at the repo lot?
When you go to pick up your car, the repo company may try to have you sign a “release.” A release is a contract where you would waive legal claims against the repo company in exchange for getting your car back. Do not sign one if possible. If the repo company requires you to sign a release, read it carefully and only agree to release claims related to damage to the car. If your car has been damaged in the repossession, do not sign a document saying your car is in good condition—or else you could be waiving your legal rights.
6. Repossession Notices
The lender is required to send the borrower a written notice after the repossession. This notice, frequently called a Notice of Intent to Sell Property, will include important information about your vehicle and your account. It should tell you where the car is being held, how much you owe, and whether the lender plans to sell the vehicle. It may also include a date by which action must be taken before the car is sold. In some cases, you may be able to get your car back by making the past due payments plus expenses of the repossession. But in many cases, the lender can require you to pay off the full loan balance. This depends on your contract terms and what state you are in. Review this notice carefully. It provides key details about your rights and the next steps available to you.
7. Repo Agents must follow the law
It is also important to understand that repossession agents must follow the law. They are not allowed to use force, threaten you, damage the vehicle, or break into locked property—such as a garage, to repossess the vehicle. If a repossession involves this type of conduct, it may be considered unlawful.
Seek Qualified Legal Help
Do you believe the repossession of your vehicle was handled improperly? You may have legal rights and should consider speaking with us. Because time is a factor, you should act quickly after learning that your car has been repossessed. Storage charges from the repo lot can increase over time. If the borrower does not take any action, the lender may sell the vehicle at a private sale or auction. After a sale, the lender will send a letter to the borrower which states any deficient balance owed to satisfy the loan.
Flitter Milz has represented consumers who have had a vehicle repossessed. Contact Us for a no-cost consultation. In most cases, if your consumer rights have been violated, there is no fee until we recover for you.
Toll Free: 888-668-1225 Email: consumers@consumerslaw.com
Is Your Credit Score Getting in the Way?
If you don’t have an established credit history—or you’re trying to rebuild after financial difficulties—you may need to seek some help.
Consumers are entitled to a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—every week. Reviewing your reports allows you to spot mistakes or unfamiliar accounts. Use annualcreditreport.com to access your free credit reports.
Send a written dispute if you notice inaccurate information or an impermissible hard inquiry. Correcting errors can make a meaningful increase to your credit score.
Many Americans struggle with debt. Especially now, as recent reports show that more people are falling behind on their personal loans and credit cards. It’s not just low-income families, but higher earners are having trouble too.
Nonprofit credit counseling agencies say they are seeing more people from various income brackets asking for help. In fact, many agencies reported a big jump in new clients in 2025.
Experts say people are shifting from “extra spending” debt to “survival debt.” This means many families borrow money by using high-interest credit cards or loans to pay for basic needs such as groceries, gas, utility bills, and rent or mortgages. Although credit may act as a lifeline to prevent hunger or homelessness, it often leads to a cycle of only making minimum payments, which ultimately keeps the consumer in debt.
Falling behind on credit cards, auto loans and mortgages have become more common. For example, about 13% of people with FHA home loans show an increase in making late or missed payments. These loans, often used by first-time homebuyers, may result in mortgage foreclosures.
Some people enroll with credit counseling agencies to assist with management of debt. The agencies help with financial education, budgeting and payment plans to oversee regular payments to accounts. The advantage is that these plans may combine several obligations into one monthly payment, and offer a lower interest rate. As well, the credit bureaus may list the accounts as “current” while minimum payments are made, instead of listing late or missed payments.
Conflicts about money and finances can be destructive to relationships. When savings are gone and safety nets for emergencies are lost, pressure intensifies for couples with every bill that comes to the house.
If your phone rings with spam calls or unwanted text messages, you are not alone. Some calls are just a nuisance. Others may feel like harassment. These calls, commonly referred to as robocalls, are not only stressful and but possibly a violation to your consumer rights.
Robocalls are automated calls used by a computerized auto dialer to deliver a pre-recorded or artificial voice message. Sometimes the call may come from a live person. While some calls or texts, like appointment reminders, are legal with consent, most unsolicited sales robocalls are illegal.
Whether calls come from telemarketers, debt collectors, or even well-known businesses, if they break the law, they can be held responsible. The TCPA authorizes penalties of $500 to $1500 for each illegal call or text.
In most cases, companies must obtain your express prior consent, or have an established business relationship, to make automated communications with you. If you did not provide permission to receive these types of calls, they are not allowed to call or text you. If you have informed the company to stop contacting you, they are to stop calling or texting. If they continue contact, there may be a violation of your consumer rights.
Car repossessions are increasing across the United States. A repossession can happen when a borrower does not satisfy the terms of their loan. The numbers are rising quickly. In 2025, there were approximately 3 million vehicle repossessions across the country. We have not seen levels this high since the Great Recession of 2008 – 2009.
The cost of purchasing a car is higher than ever. Last year, the average price of a new car was more than $50,000, and used cars about $26,000. It has been reported that the average monthly payment for a new car is about $749, where a used car is about $529.
1) Gather all documents from the sale
Electronic payments are part of everyday life. Using a debit card, withdrawing cash from an ATM, paying bills automatically, sending money through a payment app, or receiving your direct deposit all involve moving money electronically into or out your bank account. These payments transact very quickly and often without a paper record. Correcting the errors can be very challenging and time consuming.
Legally, an “electronic transfer” is considered one where money is moved between accounts using computer-based systems that rely on secure networks to send electronic instructions between financial institutions. Transactions initiated by check or telephone are not considered electronic transfers.
An “unauthorized” electronic payment is one that was not approved, not expected, and where no benefit was received by the consumer. Often this occurs when a debit card is stolen, account information is compromised, or someone gains access to online banking accounts without the consumer’s knowledge.
Consumers must review bank statements regularly for accuracy and evaluate whether any listed transactions are erroneous. If a transaction was made without permission, there are two questions: Who is responsible for the error? Should the bank return the funds, or is the consumer left responsible for the loss?
Once the bank receives the written dispute, they may provisionally credit your account for the amount of the erroneous transfer. However, they will follow procedures for investigation of the issue. A determination will be made of whether the transaction was actually approved by you. A written reply will be sent identifying the next actions.
This can cause immediate problems such as bounced checks or missed payments—especially for accounts that are set up with automatic or scheduled payments such as rent, mortgage, or other bills. As well, charges for everyday expenses like groceries or gas, may be rejected as the actual amount of cash available is lower than expected.
Credit cards work differently. Charges made to a credit card are paid or “advanced” by the credit card company. The consumer receives a statement at the end of the billing period and reviews all listed charges for accuracy.
Unauthorized charges are when funds are transferred to an account, or charged to an account, by someone other than yourself, without your permission, and without any benefit to you.
All dispute correspondence should be sent by a traceable means, such as Certified Mail – Return Receipt, so that you know when your letter was received.
Electronic signatures—or e-signatures—are everywhere. We click “Agree” or type our name on a device to open bank accounts, purchase vehicles, rent apartments, or accept online terms. Before you sign electronically, here’s what to know.
1. The option to receive paper copies
The key is intent—you must intend to sign the electronic contract that your signature is applied to. But some companies may forge or copy and paste e-signatures to contracts that were never approved by the consumer. Forging an e-signature is illegal, just like forging a signature in ink on paper.
While e-signatures are legal on many documents, some notices, such as those listed below, are required to be delivered in paper form and signed in ink. This is to insure that the person is fully informed and in agreement with the document.
E-signatures are legally valid in most places, which means they carry the same weight as a handwritten signature. The problem is that many e-signature platforms don’t do much to confirm someone’s identity before they sign. If a crooked salesman gets into your email or other online accounts, they may be able to sign contracts in your name without you knowing. Unlike a physical signature, there’s no handwriting to compare, so proving you didn’t sign can be very difficult.
With handwritten signatures, experts can look for clues—like pen pressure, writing style, and unique letter shapes—to spot a forgery. But with e-signatures, there’s nothing physical to examine. Many systems let you “draw” a signature with a mouse or finger, but a scammer can copy yours from another document or even generate one that looks close enough.
When signing electronically, we recommend that you add the date immediately next to your signature. For example, this might look like “John Doe 8/15/2025.” Even if there is a separate space or line for the date, you reduce the risk of loss from a stolen signature by placing the date immediately next to your signature every time.
CARS TRUCKS MOTORCYCLES BOATS RVs
Did the repo agent act abusively or damage property?
Did the police come and assist the repo agent with the repossession?
Did you receive proper notices from your lender after the repossession?
Was your vehicle repossessed within the past six years?
Collection of the deficient balance owed on your auto loan?
Did the lender file a lawsuit to collect the deficient balance?
Flitter Milz attorneys know repossession law and can protect borrowers from illegal tactics used by banks, credit unions and financial institutions. We represent consumers in cases without filing bankruptcy.
