My car has been repossessed, can I get it back?

If you purchased your car in California, the answer generally is “yes.” You will have the right to “reinstate” your contract by paying your past due payments other delinquency charges (e.g., repossession fees), or you can “redeem” the vehicle by paying the entire balance due on your account. You always have the right to redeem.…

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Repossession or Surrender of a Leased Car

If you end your automobile lease early in California, either by voluntarily surrendering the car or involuntarily having it taken by repossession, the lessor (i.e., the company which leased the vehicle to you) does not have to allow you to “reinstate” the lease by paying what’s past due. The lessor can deem the lease to…

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What to do if someone repossessed your car but you own it outright

A repossession is unlawful if you own a car outright, but someone took it anyway. A former buyer may have fraudulently removed his or her lienholder from title to the car and then sold it to someone with no knowledge of the old lien. However, that new owner likely is a “good faith purchaser for…

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The Coronavirus Pandemic: Car Payments and Repossessions

The national emergency resulting from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has made it hard for many consumers to make their monthly car payments and it seems has resulted in increased repossessions. Law Offices of Brandon A. Block has remained, and will continue to remain, open and available to all consumers during the Coronavirus pandemic (though working…

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Do Car Repossessions Violate Stay-At-Home Orders?

This post has been updated as of February 17, 2021, based on developments. It seems the answer is, “It may, but it’s unclear.” Looking just at the text of California’s stay-at-home orders, they appear to have precluded repossessions while in effect. By not specifically exempting workers in the collection or collateral recovery aspects of the…

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