Monday, October 4, 2010

http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2010-10-03/repossessing-vehicles-may-be-getting-riskier

Repossessing vehicles may be getting riskier





The show has taught car owners to expect violence.
On another job, a group of young men told Koelling they had seen the show and were prepared to fight for their vehicle.
But the truth is, repossession isn't like that. Recovery agents, just like everyone else, must obey laws.
For example, he said, several repo companies have attempted to repossess a North Carolina man's Mercedes. But when he's sleeping in it with a shotgun, there isn't much anyone can do.
Newsome, of American Recovery, said he has seen snakes and dogs left in cars as deterrents.
That's considered mild.
Every repo man has tales about really dangerous jobs.
Scouting for a car on Bolt Avenue in June, Newsome's personal vehicle was shot 17 times -- shattering back and front windows, flattening three tires and damaging his tool box.
The recovery agent said investigators believe the shooting occurred because he was in someone else's territory.
"Technically I could have repoed the car while I was there. I had the key, but I probably would have been dead," Newsome said.
As for the 15 stitches, they were required after he was struck on the head with a bottle.
Koelling, who has repossessed vehicles in several states, said he got his first piercing when he was hit with a 2-by-4 and a 16-penny nail went through his tongue.
Another time, he was hit in the head with a chain.
In August, a woman backed into him while attempting to make a getaway.
Koelling said he wasn't injured, so he didn't press charges. Everybody has desperate times, he said.
Both Koelling and Newsome said being held at gunpoint isn't uncommon. That's why vehicles are often repossessed at night, they explained.
"It usually takes 30 seconds to a minute-and-a-half to get (the vehicle) out of the yard," Koelling said. "By the time they get out of bed and put their clothes on, we're gone."
Lenders typically wait 90 days before calling for repossession.
With the recession, Koelling said, he's not only seeing more clients but a different kind of client.
To some, he's a familiar face, having repossessed several cars from them. Now he's meeting people who usually aren't late on their payments.
"It isn't my fault," Newsome said. "People are down on their luck, and there's a trail that gets to me. They take it out on me, but it isn't my fault."

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