this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2025
570 points (96.6% liked)

Comic Strips

13163 readers
3305 users here now

Comic Strips is a community for those who love comic stories.

The rules are simple:

Web of links

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

No, the bank does not own the car. They have a lien on it, i.e it is collateral for you defaulting on the loan they gave you to purchase it. Thats not ownership as much as its a stake on the material good as collatoral for payment. Contractors/etc can put similar liens on houses that mean you cant sell the house without paying them. That too is a civil matter.

Enforcing a lien is a civil matter. The process for enforcement varies state to state, but it is a contract dispute, not theft or anything like it.

Breach of contract has penalties that can include various things, including repossession, but cops wont enforce that without a writ from the courts, and often not without a nominal fee paid. This is normally when the losing party in a lawsuit refuses to comply with a judges ruling for payment to the wronged party. A simple car loan default doesnt rise to that level.

There is a reason its repo guys rolling around in tow trucks picking up defaulted cars and not cops. Its not a criminal matter.