Repossession Law Blog

Repossession or Surrender of a Leased Car

January 19, 2025

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

February 7, 2024

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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Is filing bankruptcy an event of default which could lead to a car repossession?

January 7, 2023

If you purchased your car (not if you leased it), and California law applies, the answer now is no. Simply filing for bankruptcy or being a debtor in bankruptcy can no longer be deemed an event of default under a purchase contract or car loan. The California Legislature has added provisions to California Civil Code…

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Take Action for Tax Fairness: Ask Your Senator to Co-Sponsor the End Double Taxation of Successful Consumer Claims Act

March 18, 2021

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) has re-introduced the End Double Taxation of Successful Consumer Claims Act (EDTSCCA), S. 766. If passed, this bill would allow consumers who win their cases to deduct the reimbursed legal expenses awarded to them. The existing tax system, which can make consumers pay taxes on reimbursed fees that they never…

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