Guns stolen, car re-po

[ArmedBear]

The repo men I've met were funny.

When I was an EMT back in the '80s, we would be driving around at 3AM. So would the repo guys. They used to have an office near one of ours, also. Nobody was around but us, so we got to know them a bit. Maybe they were felons; it's hard to say. But they seemed to enjoy their work, at least some of the time -- especially if it was a really expensive car that nobody really "needed", they just wanted, whether or not they could pay for it.

 

[bruss01]

Sorry the guy is having financial problems... and I know, you can't work and/or look for work 24/7, but it would seem to me that if cash is in such short supply that the car payment can't be met, that a range trip would seem to be an unnecessary expense and time away from other pursuits that might yield some income.

I've taken second jobs and worked at odd jobs and project work before when times are tight. If my car payment is behind I would not hesitate to take a job digging a ditch if it meant I could catch up my obligations. I'm working a few extra hours (since my wife is currently unemployed) doing some consulting work on the side - it makes the difference between enough for rent and groceries every month - and not.

Good luck with the guns... odds are the repo guy will say they weren't in the car, and your buddy must either be mistaken or trying to scam his insurance for the money (motive being obvious since he's short on cash). If that's the case you have no choice but to report them stolen.

 

[OOOXOOO]

I have never had a car repoed', but I have had my car towed for illeagle parking. Needless to say, when I got my car back every thing that was not seriously attached to the car was gone. This was within the four hours it took me to find out where it was towed and come up with the money to get it out.

 

[RioShooter]

Interesting advice being given.

Sorry the guy is having financial problems... and I know, you can't work and/or look for work 24/7, but it would seem to me that if cash is in such short supply that the car payment can't be met, that a range trip would seem to be an unnecessary expense and time away from other pursuits that might yield some income.

I've taken second jobs and worked at odd jobs and project work before when times are tight. If my car payment is behind I would not hesitate to take a job digging a ditch if it meant I could catch up my obligations. I'm working a few extra hours (since my wife is currently unemployed) doing some consulting work on the side - it makes the difference between enough for rent and groceries every month - and not.

The OP asks advice on property in a repo'd vehicle, and instead is given advice on financial responsibility.

 

[FmrMarine]

Sorry Rioshooter

You'll have to excuse some of us who are a little weary of people who are coming up short on their obligations since we taxpayers are now footing the bill to the tune of $700 billion. As another poster said, when the wolf is at the door (and having your car repoed means the wolf is at the door) you need to suck it up and do whatever it takes to meet your obligations. That might mean cutting range trips, dinners out, etc. and maybe even selling some assets. Additionally, if after scrimping, saving and selling, the OP's friend still couldn't pay, he could have voluntarily surrendered the vehicle and avoided this mess. That would have been more responsible than the chosen course of action.

Regards,

FmrMarine

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Talkin' To Da Feds

"Hello, is the the collections division of ABC Bank?"

"Yes, how may I help you?"

"My name is Zaphod Beeblebrox, account number APX123-543-9988, and I'd like the name of the director there, please, along with his contact information."

"I'm sorry, we don't release that information. Is there something I can help with?"

"Well, see, here's the problem. It is my belief that your department has facilitated the theft of firearms or, at the very least, possession of said firearms by a convicted felon, and I need to know whose name to give the police and FBI."

"I don't understand, sir, we only arrange repossession of cars, not guns."

"Oh, then you won't have a problem connecting me with the people you sent to tow my guns? The ones that were in my car?"

"Oh, we can't give out that information."

"Fine. Then here's what I'll be doing. You aren't in the same state as I am, yet you dispatched a repo crew to seize my car. Your repo company hires felons. (I have to make that assumption to be on the safe side.) Therefore, in a transaction crossing state lines, you have caused firearms to leave my possession and to be (as near as I can tell) possessed by a convicted felon. You won't assist in recovering my property -- firearms in this case -- and I must confess, the Feds take a seriously dim view of this. I am unwilling to have the Feds after me for transferring a firearm illegally to a felon, so I will be reporting this to the FBI and local police, and I will be giving them every scrap of information I have regarding how to contact you. Not your boss, but you. Your boss isn't the one obstructing me. Please understand that this will now be out of my hands. Have a nice day."

"But sir . . ."

<click>

Love to be a fly on the wall at the collections dept.

 

[ArmedBear]

The OP asks advice on property in a repo'd vehicle, and instead is given advice on financial responsibility.

Damn right.

If your car is actively repo'd with guns in it, your finances are messed up and need to be addressed before you get into bigger trouble. It's with your best interest at heart that this advice would be given.

Otherwise, you're a cheat who uses property he doesn't pay for in good faith, or a slob who doesn't bother to make car payments he could cover.

Frankly, assuming it's a financial responsibility issue is giving someone the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Eric F]

The OP asks advice on property in a repo'd vehicle, and instead is given advice on financial responsibility

yeah and its not even the OP who has the problem.



ok Guns will be returned tomorrow. Acording to my friend, the police say by letter of the law they are indeed stolen. However, they called the bank explained the situation and got the towing company, they then called the towing company and laid it all out for them. They are to return the guns tomorrow.

As far as him shooting while owing money, He has 3 jobs, his main job; he is on forced leave he has too much use or loose, he had just gotten off the 1 part time job and was going to work the other part time job tonight. He is doing all he can do for the time. Nothing wrong with relaxing a little while working 3 jobs. The range is free for him for what ever reason.

Damn right.

NO this thread is about weather or not the guns in a re-poed car are stolen. There are any number of reasons this can happen. Ever consider the guy is an upstanding ctiizen and got slammed with upgraded property tax, medical bills, or any other unexpected major expense?

Keep to the topic here folks please

 

[weisse52]

I am glad he is getting his guns back.

This is a great post on how the Internet is ripe with bad information.

(sometimes all you need is a good bluff)

Believe me, most banks / lending institutions get attempted "bluffs" everyday. We always use to compare stories on the latest " I will sue you", "my lawyer is going to get you fired" etc, etc, etc. Everyone thinks that they have the best story, and guess what, they have heard it hundreds of times before. Most people are just not that clever, even when they think they are. People who really do have a lawyer don't threaten, they just call that lawyer and the proper paperwork gets started.

Laws on re-po are very clear. The "bank" has no legal right to any personal property in the vehicle. Care must be taken to safe guard those items. If they do not, and you can prove the items where in the car, they you would have a claim for compensation for that missing property.

It is really no surprise that the bank would not tell him who re-po'ed his car. The re-po company does not want some "pissed off" person showing up wanting to extract revenge on the people who "stole" his car.

His course of action of calling the police and letting them take care of it was the right one. If he had suggested that the car was stolen and the police found it was a re-po, and he knew it, he would have had more problems than a missing car and guns slightly our of his reach.

A quick Internet search of Virginia law suggested that they are not considered stolen if in a vehicle that was re-po'ed legally. But I am sure given more time and desire it can be proven one way or the other.

 

[B.D. Turner]

Another good reason to pay your bills.

 

[ArmedBear]

Ever consider the guy is an upstanding ctiizen and got slammed with upgraded property tax, medical bills, or any other unexpected major expense?

Yup.

That stuff sucks, and I didn't say I don't have any sympathy.

However, he left firearms in a car that he had to know could be repo'd at any time. He could have called the bank and turned the car in, or seen if they'd work with him, or something. What's the bank going to do with the car now? They wouldn't repo it if someone was a week late on a payment. Too expensive for them. Therefore, he must have been seriously delinquent.

 

[NonConformist]

Actually were not footing the bill for a repod car, were footing the bill for greedy executives who over extended their companys money and got in trouble because of A. Government Policy and B. There own actions

Besides, IMO being armed and vigilant ius a responsibility and a car payment is a luxury

Even when i was so broke I was eating Mac and cheese and Ramen I still shot

 

[weisse52]

Actually were not footing the bill for a repod car, were footing the bill for greedy executives who over extended their companys money and got in trouble because of A. Government Policy and B. There own actions

Huh? what is this suppose to mean?

Besides, IMO being armed and vigilant ius a responsibility and a car payment is a luxury

Are you saying he had no responsibility to make the car payment, or guns first, car later?

 

[NonConformist]

I was refering to a post several up, no quote function here when someone said 'its people like him we just bailed out'

That was my response to him

 

[a1abdj]

Wow...just wow.

I used to work for a very large repo company. The guns are not stolen, and they guys that took it aren't in posession of anything aside from your car.

In MO and IL, the police must be notified of a recovery, and the leinholder's paperwork faxed over or called in. If your friend calls the police, they should be able to provide him with a contact number for the repo company. He can then call during normal business hours to make arrangements to get his property back.

About half of our "customers" called the police regarding the $5,000 in cash that was missing from the trunk. Needless to say, the Police have a hard time taking any claims to missing property seriously.

As far as felons working as recovery agents? Not where I'm from. Many states require licensing which means background checks. This also holds true for the insurance companies and other professional organizations that repo companies are members of.

If it was some small podunk "buy here pay here" lot, I could see having the potential for low life employees. If it was financed through a bank or a manufacturer, then it should be a professional recovery company.

Be polite with them, and they will be polite with you.

 

[NonConformist]

Here in Florida only the agency need be licensed and they hire questionable people IMO, though for individuals the state is the same

 

[BSlacker]

My wife works for a Credit Union and they repo vehicles all the time with owners stuff in it. It ain't stealing. I doubt you will get a PD very fired up over this, start with the Watch Commander. If you had to let every person being repoed get their stuff, at the point of pickup, you couldn't do business. The local Police will have a record of the repo. Lots of places require the repo company to report to the dispatcher they are going to repo a vehicle. Just let the Watch Commander at the local PD office know what happened he may help due to the guns involved. But there may be laws against leaving firearms in a unattended (if it was out of sight it may be considered unattended) vehicle.

 

[MGshaggy]

Believe me, most banks / lending institutions get attempted "bluffs" everyday. We always use to compare stories on the latest " I will sue you", "my lawyer is going to get you fired" etc, etc, etc. Everyone thinks that they have the best story, and guess what, they have heard it hundreds of times before. Most people are just not that clever, even when they think they are. People who really do have a lawyer don't threaten, they just call that lawyer and the proper paperwork gets started.

I was speaking interms of a bluff as to the interest of a local news crew. In many areas, something like the loss of firearms (and subsequent obstruction by a bank in recovering them) might be enough to generate a local news story. It may not work, but if it does, its going to be a bad day for the PR people. As to the potential legal entanglements in connection with lost firearms, most banks probably wouldn't want to get involved and would try to cooperate...which, it seems, is exactly what happened here. There's a world of difference between their positions when they know they're in the clear (as on a "clean" repo, late fees, loan terms, etc.) and where there's the potential for civil and criminal liability as well as bad press. I've used bluffs to my benefit on several occasions, but to be fair, I am an attorney and I do know how the game is played.

 

[Jeff F]

just call the cops and tell them what happened and that your guns are in the car. And I would not wait around about it.

 

[CWL]

Good thing the guns are coming back.

I'm not taking anyone's side, but I can understand if the Repo guys get a bit nervous about handing guns back to a guy who just had his car repo'd.

Police should be the first contact in a situation like this, they can cover the safe return of firearms and make sure that no heated tempers flare up.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Looks like the issue is resolved, and the discussion is wandering far off topic.

Time to close this.