Screwed?

[M1911]

What is "allowed" in Massachusetts and what is "right" are two different things. One blatantly doesn't equal the other.

That, and $3.50, will get you a latte. You don't get justice out of our legal system.

 

[theGringo]

On my birth certificate it lists my father's occupation as "Banking". (Yeah, my BC actually has that level of detail, even if Obama's doesn't ... ). But he was actually a repo man. He worked for a finance company. He'd have to go into some crappy apartment, with kids watching TV and it's all they got, and take the TV. He had to give it up. To depressing. But as far as I know, he never got shot at.

Most people on the repo list know that the repo man is coming, I think.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

In California they steal cars ALL THE TIME LIKE that...

He had some reason to believe it was being stolen. However in order for it to be repo'd I would imagine you have to be behind months and months of payments.

If I honestly thought my car was being stolen by a criminal you can best bet your ass I would have a gun drawn when I confront the BG.

well, yeah, some states allow you to defend physical property....MA doesn't.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

I'm saddened that

A) You're not allowed to defend your property

and

B) So many of you seem to think that's a good thing.

Im glad to see the letter of the law being followed. I wish the law were different, but I dont want to see him get off the hook with that.

 

[Martlet]

Im glad to see the letter of the law being followed. I wish the law were different, but I dont want to see him get off the hook with that.

I'm not. Sometimes, the law is an ass. The law requires me to register my firearms. I don't jump for joy to see the law enforced.

 

[M1911]

I'm not. Sometimes, the law is an ass. The law requires me to register my firearms. I don't jump for joy to see the law enforced.

He went out and pointed a gun at the repo man who was legally repoing the vehicle owned by the bank. He had no business threatening the repo guy who was taking both legal and ethical actions.

You might have a point if the car was being stolen. But it wasn't. And the guy knew the bank wanted their vehicle back.

 

[In_God_We_Trust]

Hmm. We have to assume the guy new he was in default. If you know you're in default and the repoman is coming, why would you really care if it got stolen vs. repo'd?

IMO, the guy is a dumbass and just performed a big disservice to lawful gunowners.

BINGO... If you are a deadbeat scumbag and you are not paying your auto loan, they give you AMPLE time to settle that debt before they call the repoman. No way did he not know this was coming... Please.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Most people on the repo list know that the repo man is coming, I think.

If it's a straight auto loan repo, yes. If it's a constable or sheriff seizing a car to settle a small claims or regular court action brought by a creditor such as a credit card company or medical service provider, that's not necessarily the case in MA. The Glob did a whole series on this sort of thing: http://www.boston.com/news/specials/debt/

 

[Martlet]

He went out and pointed a gun at the repo man who was legally repoing the vehicle owned by the bank. He had no business threatening the repo guy who was taking both legal and ethical actions.

You might have a point if the car was being stolen. But it wasn't. And the guy new the bank wanted their vehicle back.

We don't know what he did, or did not, know.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

I'm not. Sometimes, the law is an ass. The law requires me to register my firearms. I don't jump for joy to see the law enforced.

I agree the law is ass backwards, but the way to fight it is not by violating it. In fact, that is a way to give those who hold us down evidence to show that "the law is working." So yeah, I am not liking the law, but the law is the law, and him breaking it only sets gun owners back instead of advancing the properties of gun ownership that we need to.

Its a sick, sad reality, I know.

 

[Martlet]

I agree the law is ass backwards, but the way to fight it is not by violating it. In fact, that is a way to give those who hold us down evidence to show that "the law is working." So yeah, I am not liking the law, but the law is the law, and him breaking it only sets gun owners back instead of advancing the properties of gun ownership that we need to.

Its a sick, sad reality, I know.

The lemming-like following of the law hasn't moved our agenda forward either. Unfortunately, the law will probably be changed through the courts and challenges to it.

All that being said, a guy who probably knew the repo man soon cometh isn't a great test case.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

The lemming-like following of the law hasn't moved our agenda forward either. Unfortunately, the law will probably be changed through the courts and challenges to it.

All that being said, a guy who probably knew the repo man soon cometh isn't a great test case.

I can meet ya in the middle on that one.

 

[Len-2A Training]

If it's a straight auto loan repo, yes. If it's a constable or sheriff seizing a car to settle a small claims or regular court action brought by a creditor such as a credit card company or medical service provider, that's not necessarily the case in MA. The Glob did a whole series on this sort of thing: http://www.boston.com/news/specials/debt/

Rob it is not as simple as that.

If there is a judgment against someone:

- The debtor knows as he/she has been served with papers about the debt and most likely ignored them, bam he/she automatically loses in court by not showing up. Or the debtor lost the case fair and square in court.

- The person owed the money can't arbitrarily decide "I'll take the car/TV/lawn furniture/etc. Again, a judge has to authorize the specific property to be taken to pay off the judgment. Therefore, again the debtor is notified.

- So by the time someone shows up for the TV/car/etc., the debtor has to be an illiterate moron to not know it is about to happen.

The news story you quoted again is about scumbag collection agents who purposely mis-represent what they are doing so that they get the judgments to seize property. It's a very separate issue which leads to the above results. I certainly can't condone it, and what really needs to be done is tighter controls on the collection agencies. But none of that forgives threatening deadly force against someone seizing property in MA (allowed in TX, but never in MA).

 

[Bill Nance]

I agree. Many people in New England, even those who own guns for self defense seem to buy into the "no property is worth killing over". I disagree and think that this attitude emboldens thieves and robbers. Unlike liberals, I think that if a robber knew that he ran a good risk of getting shot, he'd think twice before attacking someone. All too many non liberals have bought into the notion that you should only be able to defend your life, but not your property.

My property is mine because I paid for it, which means I worked for it. To replace it, even with insurance, I'm going to have to work to buy it AGAIN. Which means that I'm not going to be able to use that money to buy or do something else. So, losing the property costs me twice, not once.

I should be able to defend against someone taking it. If they think it's worth risking me killing them, then they are welcome to try.

So by this logic, it would be perfectly moral for a shopkeeper to shoot a 12-year-old running out the door with a stolen bag of potato chips?

 

[MarkM]

So by this logic, it would be perfectly moral for a shopkeeper to shoot a 12-year-old running out the door with a stolen bag of potato chips?

I wouldn't shoot a kid over that but (if it were legal) I would beat the crap out of them so they learn the lesson that stealing has consequences.

 

[MarkM]

Does not speak well for gun owners if they are not keeping up with the car payments. If he had lost his job etc. he should have known that he was going to have is MV repo'd at some point. This is the kind of dude that we do not want in our fraternity, I would say.

Our "fraternity" (gun owners) is at least 25% of the adult population (that is the number who lawfully own firearms and excludes criminals illegally possessing guns).

With guns being owned by 1 in 4 adults there are probably quite a few people that exhibit bad judgment in their lives, should we ban then from gun ownership so they don't make the rest of us look bad???

 

[M1911]

We don't know what he did, or did not, know.

Repo men don't show up out of the blue. He had to know that he wasn't paying his car note. He had to know that he hadn't paid it for several months (they don't repo for a single missed payment. The bank would have sent him numerous letters.

 

[Martlet]

Repo men don't show up out of the blue. He had to know that he wasn't paying his car note. He had to know that he hadn't paid it for several months (they don't repo for a single missed payment. The bank would have sent him numerous letters.

Those are all assumptions on your part. The report doesn't state any of your assertions. It doesn't even state the car was in his name.

 

[Prandtl]

Why are any of you assuming the repo is legit???

A GF of mine was woken at 3 am at her apartment by the neighbors. A tow truck was about to STEAL her car. My GF and the neighbors detained the driver until the police arrived. It turned out that the tow truck had come by to tow the car of the person who had live at the apartment before my GF.

So bottom line, the tow truck people, and the DorkHeads who send them, have no idea what they are doing. They need a bubble level to drool evenly out both sides of their mouth.

They could not care less if they are at the right address, or are picking up the right car.

Fark them up the arse with a trident.

 

[Zappa]

So bottom line, the tow truck people, and the DorkHeads who send them, have no idea what they are doing. They need a bubble level to drool evenly out both sides of their mouth.

They could not care less if they are at the right address, or are picking up the right car.

Fark them up the arse with a trident.

I can see you're going to make lots of friends in here real quick.

 

[Bob P]

Because so many car thiefs use a tow truck

 

[M1911]

So bottom line, the tow truck people, and the DorkHeads who send them, have no idea what they are doing. They need a bubble level to drool evenly out both sides of their mouth.

They could not care less if they are at the right address, or are picking up the right car.

Some do, some don't. Even if you are not behind on your loan and they are taking your car in error, here in MA if you go outside of your house waving your gun at them, you are likely to be in very deep legal trouble. Far greater legal trouble than the legit repo-man who is mistakenly taking your car, or of the car thief with a tow truck stealing your car.

 

[richc]

I can see you're going to make lots of friends in here real quick.

So, Zappa, perhaps you could share with Prandtl how you make a living?

Perhaps he needs a bit of enlightenment?

 

[M1911]

Because so many car thiefs use a tow truck

Some do these days, particularly with the immobilizer keys.

 

[Half Cocked]

If it's a constable or sheriff seizing a car to settle a small claims or regular court action brought by a creditor such as a credit card company or medical service provider, that's not necessarily the case in MA.

One difference though Rob..... the Constables, IIRC, make contact with someone at the residence prior to taking the car even if it was in the middle of the night they identify themselves. The repo men just come and taketh away.

 

[Half Cocked]

I didn't think a repo guy could legally come onto private property.

Your driveway is not private property (legally). The public has a right of access.

 

[Zappa]

So, Zappa, perhaps you could share with Prandtl how you make a living?

Perhaps he needs a bit of enlightenment?

Funny that this subject should come up today.
I haven't done a repo in nearly a year, but I did one today.
Actually, it was more of a "voluntary surrender".
The girl (a real cutie too) gave me a real hard luck story.
First she lost her job, then couldn't pay her parking tickets.
The RMV denied her license renewal for the tickets, now she couldn't even drive the car. She stopped paying her insurance because she didn't have a license and wasn't using the car. Then she had to make a choice between rent or car payments. The car sat in the driveway with a flat tire and a dead battery for months. She talked to the bank people and agreed to just give up the car. I went up there with a tow truck and she handed me the keys. No surprises, no arguements, no high drama. Now her Acura RSX is headed for the auction block.

 

[GSG]

Because so many car thiefs use a tow truck

A ton of them do.

 

[drgrant]

A ton of them do.

I've often thought of that. Thieves could just drive into boston and "pretend" its street cleaning night. Free cars. Even if the alarms go off nobody ever pays attention to
those things, anyways.

-Mike

 

[terraformer]

I've often thought of that. Thieves could just drive into boston and "pretend" its street cleaning night. Free cars. Even if the alarms go off nobody ever pays attention to
those things, anyways.

-Mike

This was big on LI. My dad was one of those parkers who couldn't walk far enough to keep their car from getting dinged. He never lost his car (POS not high on the theft list) but others had and one way to prevent it was to park front in with the tires cranked. So long as you had cars on either side, they had to not only hook it and manuever it out, but also jack the front and place those trolleys. Enough work to dissuade them unless it was a really good car. Now a days though, the tow trucks can snag a parallel parked car in seconds and the above methodology is useless because the FWD allows the tires to lock and skid.