My car was repossessed Sunday, even though the check was received by the mortgage company, Santander Consumer USA of Dallas, Texas, on Saturday. The repossessor, Gary Marquis of Empire Recovery Service told me the fee to get it back would be the full past due amount, updated daily, plus a storage fee he was not aware of. On Monday we called Santander. They told us the fee would now include $400 for the act of towing. They confirmed that the check had been received on Saturday. They deposited the money on Monday. We called the bank to cancel that check because it would have left us with a bank balance of $19 until my next paycheck (August 17.) After gaining our composure we called Empire Recovery Service, but the only number was Gary Marquis' cell phone. We left a message. He had given us a letter referring us to a company in Troy, New York. We next called them and they referred us to another middleman called PAR. They told us the car was being stored in East Providence, RI, but they have no address, and that it was on its way to auction. What can a penniless family do about all these monsters and dishonest liars, all of whom might not be breaking any laws?
At least the car that you clearly couldn't afford is gone. You'll be on public transportation for a while. Start saving now, and when you get some money saved buy a very cheap used car-one you don't have to borrow money for. You've had a great lesson on the dangers of debt and your responsibilities concerning debt - one I had years ago. Just make sure you take it to heart and avoid the temptation to borrow again.
