A creditor is threatening to repossess my car or has repossessed it already. What should I do?

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If you are having problems making your car payments but your car has not yet been repossessed, you should contact the creditor to attempt to make arrangements for payment. Ohio law does not require the creditor to give you a notice before attempting to repossess your car. Repossession can occur at any time if you have fallen behind on your payments.

Once your car has been repossessed, the creditor must send you a notice of sale of your vehicle. This notice must:

• Tell you the date, time and location of the sale
• Notify you of the minimum sale price for the car
• Advise you that you will have to pay the difference between what you owe on the car and what the car sells for at auction.

You may attempt to contact the creditor to redeem the car before it is sold.

Next Steps

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland is not currently representing people in this type of case.

Visit a brief advice clinic or visit the Ohio Legal Services website for information about consumer rights in automobile transactions.

You may be able to find an attorney who can help you by contacting:

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Lawyer Referral Service
(216) 696-3532

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