He's smart, he's funny, and he "steals" cars legally. (He's also
the best friend you never knew you had.) Our July-August
issue's cover story.
(Page 6 of 6)
Reprising the Repo Man
Were he alive today, Alexis de Tocqueville would recognize Time
Finance Adjusters as a distinctive, and even a defining, American
organization: a voluntary association that has done a remarkable
job in setting standards and improving conditions for its members,
their customers, and the community at large.
It consists almost entirely of family-owned and operated
businesses; many have been handed down from one generation to next.
The biggest firms in the association have annual revenues of $3
million or more.
To the public mind, the repo man has come to symbolize the
wreckage of the American dream for many people. But after spending
most of three days with repo agents from around the country, I have
come to think of the nation’s repo men and women more as the
embodiment of the American dream: independent and resourceful
people who take care of business and don’t ask anyone else for
special favors—including their own government.
I expect within a year, some of these clunker replacements will
be on repo lots.
Ken (Old Texican)| 8.11.09 @ 9:20AM
No one...No one... expected this kind of crash.
The first TARP bill, like it or not, was needed. Even Rush and
Newt agree.
Bush, as always, trusted his helpers too much, and forgot that
either a communist...or a broken warrior... was following him
into the oval office.
Since the election, those communist America haters have been
licking their chops, and feeding the pigs.
Nevertheless, we America lovers will win this war.
BET ON IT, T.E.A.M. !!!
PolishKnight| 8.11.09 @ 10:04AM
What a wonderful article!
Sean| 8.11.09 @ 10:44AM
Ken,
There were people that predicted this crash. They are also the
ones that opposed TARP. The ones that couldn't predict the crash
supported TARP. The ones that couldn't predict the crash also
supported the stimulus bill. Those that predicted the crash
opposed the stimulus bill. Unfortunately too many people are
still listening to those that are clueless.
Dan| 8.11.09 @ 1:13PM
Becky, I suspect your right on the money.
Thats just what everyone needs more consumer debt.
Probably good times ahead for the repo-man.
Robert Pinkerton| 8.11.09 @ 1:25PM
Only by semantic laxity does one "borrow" money from strangers;
rather, one rents a stranger's money, the rental
charge being "interest." Unlike 99+% of my fellow Americans, I
have always -- consistently -- thought that the renting of a
stranger's money for personal consumption to be the height of
folly. (Gambling with rented money leaves "stupid" far, far
behind in the direction of suicidal perversity.) As such, I not
only never ever obligated myself to pay even so little as a penny
of "interest," but have silently cheered every time I have heard
of someone garnisheed (i.e.: Wages attached, stopped and diverted
to the creditor) or repo'd. I hoped against hope (Yes, I consider
hope a vice. Make of that what you will.) that the humiliation
might induce the victim to change his/her ways. Whether one
actually borrows -- i.e.: Without charge, from family or
friends -- or rents from a stranger, alongside of any material
object that might be in pledge as security, one's honor is in
pledge for security; mine is just too precious to me to risk in
betting on the future. Too, simply I cannot justify spending the
extra that is interest, when by waiting 'til I have saved enough,
I can obtain what I want for simply its tagged price.
Fifty years ago, when I was fifteen, I heard a favorite aunt
complaining about the paperwork she had to do every time one of
the laborers in the scrapyard (where she worked as office
"manager" -- two other office girls) got garnisheed -- which was
frequently. I could not understand how any adult could bear such
humiliation without suicide. Needless to say, I learnt more as my
field of social observation broadened and deepened.
In my last two years of college, my side job -- part-time -- was
as a bill collector for a finance company. (I had one of the
debtors, a hard-core deadbeat, tell me he would rather deal with
a demon out of hell than with me. I never raised my voice, nor
used profanity, nor got really or feigned angry; nothing
personal, just business.) Forget your anti-Sicilian ethnic slurs
about the Cosa Nostra collector and his baseball bat: The law of
the State of Ohio gave the creative creditor everything he might
need at take a delinquent debtor apart. And, yes. I had
asked my boss to give me only people from whom the company did
not want repeat business. I finished my BA with
NO overhanging indebtedness in 1970, and quit
the collection business.
However, while I applied for work after college, I was told by
several prospective employers that, while I otherwise looked very
good to them, the deal-breaker in my personal history was the
fact that I had no indebtedness whatsoever! Make of that what you
will; however, intervening decades of observation have led me to
put a thoroughly malign construal thereon. The person without
indebtedness but with savings, if he gets fired, is well able to
pick himself up, dust himself off, and straightaway commence
searching for other work, not needing to take simply any port in
a storm; perhaps his pride is slightly hurt, but that is all.
Likewise, the person with no debts but also no savings, though
loss of employment might cause him more pain and diminish his
choices of subsequent employment through need for immediacy.
However, the poor soul who is base over apex in debt with no
savings, is the one who will be seriously hurt by loss of
employment regardless of the reason for this; this is the one who
is meat for the employer bent on doing unlawful -- or lawful but
unconscionable -- things, for this poor soul wears a collar with
leash attached, which leash can be jerked. I have seen this last
situation happen to others.
I acknowledge without shame nor guilt that I hate the very
institution of consumer credit, and that I
love that hatred as a stimulus to virtue. I believe myself
vindicated in that attitude by the current crisis. Such economic
growth as the United States should pursue is closer to hardwood
tree-ring growth than the fashion of bubble "growth," for it is
in the nature of bubbles that they burst. Consumer credit is the
noxious gas (Flatus of the body politic?) with which our recent
bubbles bave been filled.
Assuming the United States survives this current crisis, if the
crisis teaches a large minority of our population unconditionally
to loathe and shun consumer credit at all costs,
perhaps some value might be extracted from the aftermath.
Unfortunately, however, at least I believe that we Americans are
seing the beginning of the end for this country as a unified
political entity.
Dan| 8.11.09 @ 1:48PM
Robert, your so right. The public has been brainwashed to expect
easy credit.
Even the theme song for one of the credit card companies sings
loud and clear, "I want it and I want it now".
PolishKnight| 8.11.09 @ 2:14PM
Dan, my wife and I loved that commercial (with the song "I want
it now")
It was actually a credit card advertising a feature for consumers
to check their credit limit and stay in it, rather than buy
something they couldn't afford and/or go over it.
In the commercial, the man gets all excited over buying a 60 inch
flat panel TV and when he checks his limit, he returns home with
a more modest 32 inch. His wife says helpfully to him: "This is
nice." I thought it was wonderful that the ad was showing respect
for a man living within his credit limit (which isn't perfect,
but a start anyway.)
The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed the 29-year-old is
back in hospital for further treatment but is due to be released
on Wednesday.
Pietersen was operated on after his movement became increasingly
restricted through the first two Ashes Tests. cmc audio rca wbt audio rca cmc rca plugs
The surgery already meant he would miss the final three matches
of the series.
"Pietersen will be discharged from hospital tomorrow after
experiencing a complication of the wound made during surgery on
his injured right Achilles two and a half weeks ago," the ECB
said in a statement on Tuesday.
"He was seen by a wound care specialist and will receive a course
of antibiotics in order to exclude infection. wbt rca plugs cmc rca jacks wbt rca jacks
"Medical advice is that a complication can occur post surgery and
in this case resulted despite Kevin closely following specialist
advice on management of the wound."
The injury first surfaced on England's tour of West Indies in
March. cmc tube sockets wbt tube sockets cmc binding posts
However, Pietersen's recovery was slowed when he strained the
tendon again while playing for the Bangalore Royal Challengers in
the Indian Premier League in April.
The Hampshire right-hander then missed the one-day series when
West Indies made a return visit in May. wbt binding posts cmc banana & spades
Despite clearly struggling at the crease, he averaged 38.25 from
four innings at Cardiff and Lord's in the current Ashes
series. wbt banana & spades cmc loudspeaker wbt loudspeaker
The ECB originally estimated Pietersen would be absent for six
weeks and he has been named in England's initial 30-man squad for
the ICC Champions Trophy, which begins in South Africa on 22
September.
Another limited edition of CHI is the chi pink flat iron that was
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Elyse| 9.16.09 @ 10:25AM
Repo Men and The "Big Truck Syndrome":
Run a background check on these "Repo Men" and what you will find
are “the usual con men, travelers, and deadbeats” that you have
unfairly applied as a label directed at those whom these creeps
target for repossession.
It is interesting that you have chosen to interview company
owners or the rare exception of a former CIA agent for this
article. Could this possibly be due to the fact that the vast
majority of Repo men are incapable of intelligent conversation,
have lengthy criminal records and constantly violate the laws
created to protect consumers within their States?
I am in favor of paying one's bills, but to send people with
histories of violent crimes (sex offenders included) onto the
private property of families with children, allowing access to
their keys (which they could copy and pass along to their
criminal buddies), for any reason is nothing short of dangerous
and irresponsible.
Besides this, after meeting many, I must now digress:
Come on! You must have figured out at your little "Repo Party"
that Repo Men are poorly educated criminals who make up for what
is lacking below by trying to intimidate people. They brag and
boast yet most make less than $30,000 a year and sneak around at
night trying to intimidate people-Mostly Women and their
children. Not the job of a tough guy, but the perfect job for a
guy who is too ill equipped and embarrassed to ever get laid.
Their job actually sucks, but NOBODY else would ever hire them!!!
How do I know all of this? I am a headhunter who has searched in
vain for reputable Repo companies who don't hire ex-cons or
people who lack judgement and common sense for several of my
National accounts. After weeding through hundreds of failed
background checks and interviewing people who made my skin crawl,
I had to move on to a more pleasant clientele. There is nothing
admirable about Repo Men.
I have been in the recovery business for 25 years. Like the true
professional in our industry I have a private investigators
license. In order to have that license I have to have a clean
criminal record just as all of my employees do. I agree there are
many undesirable people in the business. The problem is licensing
and only two state require training and licensing of recovery
agents.
The true professional recovery agent is aware of all laws that
impact their business. They will see that all of their employees
take an independent training course to make sure they understand
the laws. The problem is the finance companies and banks look for
the cheap repossession and hire the cheapest company available.
These financial institutions who farm out 8 to 10,000 repossession
a month latterly look for the cheap repoman. If they can save $50
or $75 dollars a recovery that save their company as much as
$750,000.00 a month.
When a repossession goes bad the financial institution is $100%
responsible for the actions of the recovery agent. Some of these
financial demand a $5 million dollar insurance policy that will
defend the recovery agent and the financial institution in lawsuits
for wrongful repossession. Those insurance policy premiums are
based on the number of repossession the company will average a
year. The premiums can exceed over 100K per year.
Superior article. I intention certainly share this article with
my friends. Thanks as a service to the info.www.itunes.com/download. To
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Becky| 8.11.09 @ 9:07AM
I expect within a year, some of these clunker replacements will be on repo lots.
Ken (Old Texican)| 8.11.09 @ 9:20AM
No one...No one... expected this kind of crash.
The first TARP bill, like it or not, was needed. Even Rush and Newt agree.
Bush, as always, trusted his helpers too much, and forgot that either a communist...or a broken warrior... was following him into the oval office.
Since the election, those communist America haters have been licking their chops, and feeding the pigs.
Nevertheless, we America lovers will win this war.
BET ON IT, T.E.A.M. !!!
PolishKnight| 8.11.09 @ 10:04AM
What a wonderful article!
Sean| 8.11.09 @ 10:44AM
Ken,
There were people that predicted this crash. They are also the ones that opposed TARP. The ones that couldn't predict the crash supported TARP. The ones that couldn't predict the crash also supported the stimulus bill. Those that predicted the crash opposed the stimulus bill. Unfortunately too many people are still listening to those that are clueless.
Dan| 8.11.09 @ 1:13PM
Becky, I suspect your right on the money.
Thats just what everyone needs more consumer debt.
Probably good times ahead for the repo-man.
Robert Pinkerton| 8.11.09 @ 1:25PM
Only by semantic laxity does one "borrow" money from strangers; rather, one rents a stranger's money, the rental charge being "interest." Unlike 99+% of my fellow Americans, I have always -- consistently -- thought that the renting of a stranger's money for personal consumption to be the height of folly. (Gambling with rented money leaves "stupid" far, far behind in the direction of suicidal perversity.) As such, I not only never ever obligated myself to pay even so little as a penny of "interest," but have silently cheered every time I have heard of someone garnisheed (i.e.: Wages attached, stopped and diverted to the creditor) or repo'd. I hoped against hope (Yes, I consider hope a vice. Make of that what you will.) that the humiliation might induce the victim to change his/her ways. Whether one actually borrows -- i.e.: Without charge, from family or friends -- or rents from a stranger, alongside of any material object that might be in pledge as security, one's honor is in pledge for security; mine is just too precious to me to risk in betting on the future. Too, simply I cannot justify spending the extra that is interest, when by waiting 'til I have saved enough, I can obtain what I want for simply its tagged price.
Fifty years ago, when I was fifteen, I heard a favorite aunt complaining about the paperwork she had to do every time one of the laborers in the scrapyard (where she worked as office "manager" -- two other office girls) got garnisheed -- which was frequently. I could not understand how any adult could bear such humiliation without suicide. Needless to say, I learnt more as my field of social observation broadened and deepened.
In my last two years of college, my side job -- part-time -- was as a bill collector for a finance company. (I had one of the debtors, a hard-core deadbeat, tell me he would rather deal with a demon out of hell than with me. I never raised my voice, nor used profanity, nor got really or feigned angry; nothing personal, just business.) Forget your anti-Sicilian ethnic slurs about the Cosa Nostra collector and his baseball bat: The law of the State of Ohio gave the creative creditor everything he might need at take a delinquent debtor apart. And, yes. I had asked my boss to give me only people from whom the company did not want repeat business. I finished my BA with NO overhanging indebtedness in 1970, and quit the collection business.
However, while I applied for work after college, I was told by several prospective employers that, while I otherwise looked very good to them, the deal-breaker in my personal history was the fact that I had no indebtedness whatsoever! Make of that what you will; however, intervening decades of observation have led me to put a thoroughly malign construal thereon. The person without indebtedness but with savings, if he gets fired, is well able to pick himself up, dust himself off, and straightaway commence searching for other work, not needing to take simply any port in a storm; perhaps his pride is slightly hurt, but that is all. Likewise, the person with no debts but also no savings, though loss of employment might cause him more pain and diminish his choices of subsequent employment through need for immediacy. However, the poor soul who is base over apex in debt with no savings, is the one who will be seriously hurt by loss of employment regardless of the reason for this; this is the one who is meat for the employer bent on doing unlawful -- or lawful but unconscionable -- things, for this poor soul wears a collar with leash attached, which leash can be jerked. I have seen this last situation happen to others.
I acknowledge without shame nor guilt that I hate the very institution of consumer credit, and that I love that hatred as a stimulus to virtue. I believe myself vindicated in that attitude by the current crisis. Such economic growth as the United States should pursue is closer to hardwood tree-ring growth than the fashion of bubble "growth," for it is in the nature of bubbles that they burst. Consumer credit is the noxious gas (Flatus of the body politic?) with which our recent bubbles bave been filled.
Assuming the United States survives this current crisis, if the crisis teaches a large minority of our population unconditionally to loathe and shun consumer credit at all costs, perhaps some value might be extracted from the aftermath. Unfortunately, however, at least I believe that we Americans are seing the beginning of the end for this country as a unified political entity.
Dan| 8.11.09 @ 1:48PM
Robert, your so right. The public has been brainwashed to expect easy credit.
Even the theme song for one of the credit card companies sings loud and clear, "I want it and I want it now".
PolishKnight| 8.11.09 @ 2:14PM
Dan, my wife and I loved that commercial (with the song "I want it now")
It was actually a credit card advertising a feature for consumers to check their credit limit and stay in it, rather than buy something they couldn't afford and/or go over it.
In the commercial, the man gets all excited over buying a 60 inch flat panel TV and when he checks his limit, he returns home with a more modest 32 inch. His wife says helpfully to him: "This is nice." I thought it was wonderful that the ad was showing respect for a man living within his credit limit (which isn't perfect, but a start anyway.)
Dan| 8.11.09 @ 2:22PM
Remember it well.
GG| 8.12.09 @ 2:51AM
The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed the 29-year-old is back in hospital for further treatment but is due to be released on Wednesday.
Pietersen was operated on after his movement became increasingly restricted through the first two Ashes Tests.
cmc audio rca
wbt audio rca
cmc rca plugs
The surgery already meant he would miss the final three matches of the series.
"Pietersen will be discharged from hospital tomorrow after experiencing a complication of the wound made during surgery on his injured right Achilles two and a half weeks ago," the ECB said in a statement on Tuesday.
"He was seen by a wound care specialist and will receive a course of antibiotics in order to exclude infection.
wbt rca plugs
cmc rca jacks
wbt rca jacks
"Medical advice is that a complication can occur post surgery and in this case resulted despite Kevin closely following specialist advice on management of the wound."
The injury first surfaced on England's tour of West Indies in March.
cmc tube sockets
wbt tube sockets
cmc binding posts
However, Pietersen's recovery was slowed when he strained the tendon again while playing for the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League in April.
The Hampshire right-hander then missed the one-day series when West Indies made a return visit in May.
wbt binding posts
cmc banana & spades
Despite clearly struggling at the crease, he averaged 38.25 from four innings at Cardiff and Lord's in the current Ashes series.
wbt banana & spades
cmc loudspeaker
wbt loudspeaker
The ECB originally estimated Pietersen would be absent for six weeks and he has been named in England's initial 30-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, which begins in South Africa on 22 September.
chi hair straightener| 9.1.09 @ 10:16PM
Another limited edition of CHI is the chi pink flat iron that was sold in dark pink with a heat protector pad included with the chi pink flat irons from the high levels of heat that your give off.
Elyse| 9.16.09 @ 10:25AM
Repo Men and The "Big Truck Syndrome":
Run a background check on these "Repo Men" and what you will find are “the usual con men, travelers, and deadbeats” that you have unfairly applied as a label directed at those whom these creeps target for repossession.
It is interesting that you have chosen to interview company owners or the rare exception of a former CIA agent for this article. Could this possibly be due to the fact that the vast majority of Repo men are incapable of intelligent conversation, have lengthy criminal records and constantly violate the laws created to protect consumers within their States?
I am in favor of paying one's bills, but to send people with histories of violent crimes (sex offenders included) onto the private property of families with children, allowing access to their keys (which they could copy and pass along to their criminal buddies), for any reason is nothing short of dangerous and irresponsible.
Besides this, after meeting many, I must now digress:
Come on! You must have figured out at your little "Repo Party" that Repo Men are poorly educated criminals who make up for what is lacking below by trying to intimidate people. They brag and boast yet most make less than $30,000 a year and sneak around at night trying to intimidate people-Mostly Women and their children. Not the job of a tough guy, but the perfect job for a guy who is too ill equipped and embarrassed to ever get laid. Their job actually sucks, but NOBODY else would ever hire them!!!
How do I know all of this? I am a headhunter who has searched in vain for reputable Repo companies who don't hire ex-cons or people who lack judgement and common sense for several of my National accounts. After weeding through hundreds of failed background checks and interviewing people who made my skin crawl, I had to move on to a more pleasant clientele. There is nothing admirable about Repo Men.
Ray Crocker| 8.26.10 @ 10:42AM
I have been in the recovery business for 25 years. Like the true professional in our industry I have a private investigators license. In order to have that license I have to have a clean criminal record just as all of my employees do. I agree there are many undesirable people in the business. The problem is licensing and only two state require training and licensing of recovery agents.
The true professional recovery agent is aware of all laws that impact their business. They will see that all of their employees take an independent training course to make sure they understand the laws. The problem is the finance companies and banks look for the cheap repossession and hire the cheapest company available. These financial institutions who farm out 8 to 10,000 repossession a month latterly look for the cheap repoman. If they can save $50 or $75 dollars a recovery that save their company as much as $750,000.00 a month.
When a repossession goes bad the financial institution is $100% responsible for the actions of the recovery agent. Some of these financial demand a $5 million dollar insurance policy that will defend the recovery agent and the financial institution in lawsuits for wrongful repossession. Those insurance policy premiums are based on the number of repossession the company will average a year. The premiums can exceed over 100K per year.
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