Eastvale: Car Thief Allegedly Poses As Repo Man

By Michael Armijo 11:15 am, Mon. Feb 10. 2014

Eastvale – A resident reported that a man came to her door early this morning and told her he was there to repossess her car, but she quickly called his alleged bluff.

“I followed up with my finance company and they said I was in good standing,” said the alleged victim, who asked to not be identified. “They then advised me to contact my local police because (this company) wasn’t even associated with my finance company.”

She then said she called police and found out she wasn’t the only alleged victim.

“When an officer arrived he said someone posing as a repo guy stole a brand new Camaro recently while no one was home,” she said.

According to the Riverside Sheriff’s Department (RSD), there were no other reports of theft by Repo, but they couldn’t narrow a search and Deputies haven’t completed the day’s report yet.

“We cover the entire Riverside County,” the Watch Commander said in a phone interview this morning. “The Deputies are still (patrolling).”

When we contacted the company who allegedly tried to confiscate the vehicle their spokesperson said: “We are licensed and bonded, and would never take any vehicle. We cannot disclose information due to privacy, but we always have proof.”

The alleged victim also claims that there was no paperwork and no plates on the vehicle.

Here is some interesting information on vehicle repossession from The Department of Consumer Affairs’ Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS)

Who can repossess a vehicle?

In most cases, a person must be registered with BSIS and have a BSIS identification card to legally recover collateral (a vehicle, boat, motorcycle RV or other types of collateral). Ask to see this ID card. In some cases, a bank, auto dealership, financial lender, or other legal owner will send employees to recover property. Under California law, in-house employees who are on the regular payroll of the legal owner are not considered repossession employees and do not need to be licensed by BSIS.

How can I check someone’s repossessor license?

You can call the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Consumer Information Center at (800) 952-5210, or BSIS at (916) 322-4000; You can also verify license information online at http://www.bsis.ca.gov.

What does a contract have to do with repossession?

When you sign a contract for a secured loan to buy a car, boat, motorcycle, RV or other merchandise, you agree to make payments and meet the terms of the contract. The terms may include the seller’s (or legal owner’s) right to repossess that collateral if you don’t make the payments.

Can a vehicle be repossessed on private property?

In most cases, yes. However, it is against the law for the repossessor to go into a private building, such as an enclosed garage, or into a fenced or locked area, without permission from the legal owner of the building or locked area.

For more information, and to know your rights, sign onto: http://www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/cons_grepos.pdf