How long will a Repo Man look for a Car?

Last Updated on February 5, 2023 by Leepu Da Maxim

The costs associated with the repository manager are charged to the debtor’s account. Thus, a lender can hire a repository manager as many times as necessary. Also, the repo man can search for a car for extended periods, since he knows the main tricks about it. In any case, as more time passes, the only one who suffers is the debtor, since his debt increases. 

Key Takeaways

• You should keep in mind that a repo man will look for a car can vary and depends on quite a few things
• The cost of a Repo man depends on the value of the car, the efforts made by the owner to hide it, etc.
• In general, a repo man will look for the car for at least 30 days or before the cost of the search exceeds the value of the vehicle

Searching For The Repo Man To A Vehicle – Main Tips

Tips	Description
Search Period	The search and recovery of a car to be repossessed can be extended up to 7 years
Most Common Places	The neighborhood or street of the debtor’s address is the most common place to repossess a car
Electronic Devices	A tracking device is usually included in most cars sold for financing
Repo Man Costs	The debtor must bear the costs of the repo man and these increase over time
Time Of Extraction Of The Car	The repo man only needs about one minute to retrieve a car once he finds it in an available location

What Happens If The Repo Man Can’t Find A Car?

On a large number of occasions people who buy a vehicle need to do so by financing the total cost. Besides, many of these people are unable to continue paying the installments on each loan. This is where the repo man comes in. In some states or counties, written notification is not necessary.

So, it may be more than enough to default on a payment so that repossession can begin. In general, the amount of time needed for the lien to begin is between two and three months. However, this is only an average since the total time of delinquency is not precisely established. 

In the worst-case scenario, many lenders try to repossess a vehicle after the first default. Of course, this is not personal since lenders make a living this way. These lenders are trying to get a car back as soon as possible so that they can make a new sale with the same unit.

From this point on, the repo man will start looking for the car to be repossessed in public or private places. Of course, these people cannot recover a car that is in a private space. However, public spaces are different and do not belong to anyone in particular. Therefore, if the car to be repossessed is on the street, the presence of the new owner is not required.

However, the repo man does not always find the car to be repossessed. The repo man cannot recover a vehicle that he cannot find. That is why on many occasions people prefer to park a car on the street and not choose a parking lot they normally choose. Finding a car on the street is much more difficult due to a large number of additional cars.

Of course, this might not be the solution due to the way the repo man acts. The people who perform this service know perfectly well the best tactics to recover a vehicle. So, they can track a repossessed car to find it. Either way, they don’t make any money when they find a car.

On the contrary, a repo man can make money every time he goes out to look for a car that should be repossessed. So, if they take too many days to look for a vehicle they only benefit. Either way, the debtor will have to pay the costs of the repo man once the car is sold and the debt is cleared. That is why it is not very convenient for the debtor that the repo man does not find the car.

Hiding and concealing a car to be repossessed is only a temporary solution. However, the lender can take certain legal actions in these situations. The lender has the necessary documents to force the debtor to return the car.

When the court forces the return of the vehicle, but the debtor does not do so, it is a crime. Here, the debtor can easily be accused of theft which further complicates the situation. Not only can the debtor not use the vehicle but he will lose his freedom for some time if this happens. 

How Does A Repo Man Find A Car?

A classic situation that occurs when a car must be repossessed is when the debtor looks for ways to avoid the repo man. In fact, on many occasions, people can hide the car to be repossessed as a possible solution. In any case, it is necessary to understand that this is a continuous problem that can last for 7 years in the worst cases.

Also, hiding a car is simply a temporary solution. At some point, the car must be used and the repo man will be there for when that happens. Additionally, the people who provide this service know a lot of tricks to be able to recover a car that must be repossessed.

1. Search By Geographical Area

Even today there are a variety of techniques and methods to find a car that should be repossessed. Here, recovery agents simply establish a certain geographic area in which to find the car. It is not just any geographic area but the places where the driver and vehicle can be found.

In turn, this is done not only by taking into account the place but also the time. Recovery agents can look for a vehicle in a certain place on a certain day and time. Of course, the search for the car to be repossessed begins with the debtor’s home address. So, recovery agents will go to the debtor’s home to ask the debtor to return the car.

2. Street Recovery

However, this is not the easiest way for them to recover a car. The simplest method is when the car to be repossessed is on a public road. It is necessary to keep in mind that public space does not belong to anyone in particular. That is why recovery officers should not ask for permission to repossess the car.

This is a very common situation when the car is on the street in front of the debtor’s house. However, if the car is inside the debtor’s home, recovery agents cannot force their way in. This explains why cars that should be repossessed are kept in a garage for long periods.

3. Debtor’s Neighborhood

When recovery agents do not find the car, they will begin searching the debtor’s neighborhood. They do this because they know debtors park their cars a few blocks from their homes. In this way, they believe the car is protected and at the same time accessible when they should use it. 

In other words, debtors believe that the car is in a safe area that recovery agents will not look for. However, it is in these situations that a large number of cars are recovered due to the scanning performed by recovery agents. As such, the experience allows recovery agents to not waste too much time searching for a car.

4. Tracking People

Recovery agents can also follow the debtor at different times of the day. So, if the debtor goes to a restaurant or stores the agents will be there for the perfect time. They can do this because recovery agents wait for the debtor to get the car out of his garage and go somewhere.

The moment the car is parked on the street the recovery agents begin to take action. This is why debtors often leave a store or restaurant and realize that the vehicle has been repossessed. Besides, it only takes about a minute to successfully remove a vehicle.

If it is a narrow place, towing equipment is becoming more and more innovative and efficient. So, all it takes is for the debtor to pay for gas at a gas station or go to the bathroom so that the car is no longer there. 

5. Entrance To A Garage

In some states, it may be legal or illegal to enter a debtor’s garage to recover a vehicle. Only a duplicate key is needed for recovery agents to do their job. Even when the debtor leaves his garage door open the car can be easily repossessed with very little effort.

In other states, a police presence can simply be requested to force the debtor to return a vehicle. Either way, sooner or later the vehicle is always recovered. Here the difference is that as more time passes, the only injured party ends up being the debtor who still has the vehicle.

6. Tracking Devices 

Another way recovery agents can find a car is through a tracking device. The vast majority of cars sold with financing include this type of device. Of course, this is done to make vehicle recovery in the event of a payment default much easier.

Many times, vehicle owners do not know that a tracking device has been incorporated until it is too late. In this case, it is the easiest tracking since it does not matter where the car is located. Either way, recovery agents will always know where the car they need to repossess is located. 

References:

https://donotpay.com/learn/how-long-will-a-repo-man-look-for-a-car/

https://allmandlaw.com/how-long-will-a-repo-man-look-for-a-car/