Car repossessed - personal belongings not returned

nb1967

Hi everyone, first time posting so please bear with me. 

I’m looking for some advice. 

Due to financial problems my PCP car was repossessed by the finance company a month ago. 

I hadn’t kept up with the payments and have no issues with the fact it was taken. 

But I wasn’t given any notification when they would be coming, or that they had taken it. Not even a chap at the door. I got up for work one morning and thought it had been stolen and actually put in a stolen vehicle report with the police before finding out a couple of days later by them that the car had been uplifted by order of the finance company. If I had known they were coming for it I’d have emptied the car, met the agent and given him the car logbook and spare key etc. 

I got in contact with the solicitors acting on behalf of Volkswagen Finance to ask where the car was being held to collect my personal possessions. 

Trying to get in contact with the solicitors was an absolute nightmare and they took days to reply to simple questions (resorted to email as the people on the case were never in the office to phone and also to have everything in writing). 

I eventually was told which auction house the car was being held so proceeded to phone them. I was told that I needed written permission from the finance company to be allowed to collect my personal belongings (which included £200 headphones, £200 football boots, house keys, clothes, trainers etc.) 

i then went back to the solicitors to tell them this and was told that they’d try to contact the finance company to arrange this. Now a month later, they’re ignoring all emails and phone calls from me. 

I’m not sure what my next step is, does this warrant a police report? Surely I’m within my rights to collect my personal possessions?

any help would be hugely appreciated. 

JJ_Egan

That is the way the snatch-back squads work , no hassle get a key cut and snatch it so the driver cannot argue .

Aylesbury_Duck

Send the solicitors a letter setting out that you want a date and time at which you can collect your personal possessions, or you will commence small claims action for the value of your belongings.  I hope you have receipts or some other evidence that you own the things taken with the car?  Remember that if it gets that far, you'll only be able to claim for the items' current value, not necessarily the current retail price for brand new replacements.

m0bov

Report your lost belongs to the Police, they should have at least have put a letter in the door or taped something to your front door.

user1977

It's not a police matter. But you're entitled to your stuff back. The difficulty is surely going to be proving what was in the car. And if you knew it was likely to be repossessed at short notice, why were you storing valuables in it?

Not sure whether the Motoring board might have people who know more about the practicalities.

nb1967

user1977 said:

It's not a police matter. But you're entitled to your stuff back. The difficulty is surely going to be proving what was in the car. And if you knew it was likely to be repossessed at short notice, why were you storing valuables in it?

Due to covid it actually took about a year between them saying they’re proceeding with recovery action and seizing the car. I never heard anything from the finance company in that time. No letters /emails/phone calls. 

nb1967

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Send the solicitors a letter setting out that you want a date and time at which you can collect your personal possessions, or you will commence small claims action for the value of your belongings.  I hope you have receipts or some other evidence that you own the things taken with the car?  Remember that if it gets that far, you'll only be able to claim for the items' current value, not necessarily the current retail price for brand new replacements.

I have receipts for the football boots and headphones but that’s all unfortunately. 

Aylesbury_Duck

nb1967 said:

user1977 said:

It's not a police matter. But you're entitled to your stuff back. The difficulty is surely going to be proving what was in the car. And if you knew it was likely to be repossessed at short notice, why were you storing valuables in it?

Due to covid it actually took about a year between them saying they’re proceeding with recovery action and seizing the car. I never heard anything from the finance company in that time. No letters /emails/phone calls. 

Doesn't that make it more puzzling that you were still keeping hundreds of pounds of personal belongings in it?  For a full year?  Surely the sensible thing to do would have been to assume it could be taken at any point?

Anyway, I'd follow the advice I gave earlier, but be prepared to have to justify the value of what's been lost if it comes to it, because it could look a bit fishy.

JamoLew

nb1967 said:

Hi everyone, first time posting so please bear with me. 

I’m looking for some advice. 

Due to financial problems my PCP car was repossessed by the finance company a month ago. 

I hadn’t kept up with the payments and have no issues with the fact it was taken. 

But I wasn’t given any notification when they would be coming, or that they had taken it. Not even a chap at the door. I got up for work one morning and thought it had been stolen and actually put in a stolen vehicle report with the police before finding out a couple of days later by them that the car had been uplifted by order of the finance company. If I had known they were coming for it I’d have emptied the car, met the agent and given him the car logbook and spare key etc. 

I got in contact with the solicitors acting on behalf of Volkswagen Finance to ask where the car was being held to collect my personal possessions. 

Trying to get in contact with the solicitors was an absolute nightmare and they took days to reply to simple questions (resorted to email as the people on the case were never in the office to phone and also to have everything in writing). 

I eventually was told which auction house the car was being held so proceeded to phone them. I was told that I needed written permission from the finance company to be allowed to collect my personal belongings (which included £200 headphones, £200 football boots, house keys, clothes, trainers etc.) 

i then went back to the solicitors to tell them this and was told that they’d try to contact the finance company to arrange this. Now a month later, they’re ignoring all emails and phone calls from me. 

I’m not sure what my next step is, does this warrant a police report? Surely I’m within my rights to collect my personal possessions?

any help would be hugely appreciated. 

Things have a habit of not being there when they warn you they are coming to get them up front

pinkshoes

nb1967 said:

I have receipts for the football boots and headphones but that’s all unfortunately. 

Well that's a good start. Don't forget that it is the second hand value that you claim for though...

On the basis that very few people pay cash nowadays, have you not got bank statements that would prove the "new" value of the other items? 

Send a "Letter Before Action" requesting a response within 14 days of a time you can collect your belongings, and let them know the value that you will be claiming for against them if they do not make your possessions available for collection. 

I think it would also be in your best interest to return log book etc... as it makes the car fetch a higher price at auction if it has two keys. I assume the amount it sells for (less fees) will be offset against the amount owed??

bris

Maybe they sold the belongings to cover some of the money you owe them, or are holding a lien over the possessions as it was in their property.