Repossessed Cars

CBS news has put together an article which shows that nobody is safe from car repossession:

To say times are tough economically in this country is an understatement. But the sheriff of Alexander County, Illinois has set a new standard for deprivation. Sheriff David Barkett had his official cruisers repossessed by the local bank in the county seat of Cairo.

Usually, when you see a lot of sheriff’s cruisers in a bank parking lot it means a crime has been committed. Say, a bank robbery. But not now. Four of Barkett’s five cruisers (the fifth one is in the shop for repairs) now sit humiliatingly in the lot of the First National Bank of Cairo, shorn of their emergency lights, antennae and even their seals. You can see the faint outline of them on the suddenly denuded cruisers.

Alexander County, estimated population: 8,000 started the year $500,000 in debt and revenues have not exactly picked up. There is a “historic downtown area” that includes many more empty storefronts than businesses. Indeed, Cairo doesn’t even have a McDonald’s. Crime, especially drug trafficking is a big problem.

That’s why the cutbacks forced upon Sheriff Barkett are so painful. “God willing,” he told us, “We’re going to protect these people. And we’re going to continue with what we got. We’re used to struggling.”

In addition of losing the cruisers, the county commissioners laid off about 15 of 20 or so deputies and staff workers Barkett once employed. And starting Oct. 1, the tri-county jail says it will not accept any more prisoners from Alexander County because of non-payment of the $53-per prisoner per-day fee. What prisoners they arrest, will have to be held in the county courthouse.

So I asked Barkett about all of this and the fact that this was a pretty extreme example of recessionary hard knocks. He readily agreed. “I’d say it’s very extreme when it affects the protection of lives and property,” said Barkett.

A county commissioner Angela Greenwell told us the county simply has no money and no where to turn for help.

But that’s not entirely true, it turns out.

Barkett and a few of his friends took advantage of a national network of law enforcement agencies to send an S.O.S. about the county’s plight. And as fast as you could say “Sunshine State,” St. Lucie County, Fla., responded by shipping five used cruisers to Illinois for Sheriff Barkett’s use.

“Timing was of the essence,” said St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara. “We had the vehicles (used Ford Crown Victorias, actually). They were headed for auction and we were not going to receive a lot of money for them. And I know he (Barkett) will see them as priceless.”

Barkett is very grateful. Since last week, he’s been patrolling in a loaner SUV from the governor’s office. He’s been working very long hours and has relied on volunteers and state troopers to pick up the slack for the forced reductions in his staff.

“Altogether it’s about a 92-93 mile round trip,” he said of the county patrols. “It’s a big area for just four or five people to cover.”

Now if he could just get his man back, they could be out driving those new cruisers.

A common question, with regards to a car repossession is the rights that an owner has with regards to the contents. Often cars are repossessed and owners realise afterwards that they may have left something valuable in their vehicle. CD’s and sunglasses are often the most common items to be left in a car, but other more expensive items are often left behind. As the items are actually yours, you have every right to reclaim the items. In actual fact however, the scenario can be quite different.

Regardless of the method used to dispose of a repossessed car, a creditor may not keep or sell any personal property found inside. In some states, your creditor must tell you what personal items were found in your car and how you can retrieve them. Your creditor also may be required to use reasonable care to prevent anyone else from removing your property from the car. If your creditor can’t account for articles left in your vehicle, you may want to speak to an attorney about your right to compensation.

When a car is repossessed, these facts are often overlooked and repossessed cars are usually stripped of all items. The repo men are often less sympathetic to the situation and go ahead and keep whatever they find. It’s always advisable to throughly check a vehicle before it is repossessed and make sure you take everything out. this applies when a car is being sold. Even if the repossession men are in the process of towing the vehicle away it’s still not too late to request you take out what is yours. Getting in contact with the lender and asking to have your items returned is often a more difficult process. This is due to the fact that proving what was in the car was actually yours is not straightforward and if the item has already been taken out then it’s difficult to provide evidence that it was actually there. This is why it’s always advisable to take your things out.