Worst weekend ever! More than a dozen cars repossessed at party

A staggering 80 vehicles were repossessed between Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 9, as their owners partied in St Ann and St James. 
The vehicle seizures took place while patrons were having fun at some of Jamaica’s big summer parties. A representative of Repo Jamaica which did the repossessions, said 45 vehicles have been seized in St Ann since the start of the month. The representative said 14 were taken up at one event on Sunday. The remaining 35 were taken during the ‘Emancipendance’ weekend in St James.
“We target anywhere there are large gatherings with a large number of vehicles,” said the Repo Jamaica spokesperson. Repo Jamaica is a subsidiary of Fair Debt Collections Processes Ltd. 
The spokesperson said some of the owners initially reported the vehicles missing to police, only to learn that bailiffs had already seized them.
“Imagine having a motor vehicle coming down to enjoy yourself and then when you come out the vehicle is not there,” the spokesperson said.
Repo Jamaica, THE STAR was told, has bailiffs and spotters islandwide who work with banks and credit unions to track down vehicles attached to delinquent accounts. He said events such as parties are prime hunting ground to repossess these vehicles.
“We would know that this very exciting party weekend is where a lot of these cars will be, so our spotters were out in numbers, identifying these vehicles for us to pick them up,” the spokesperson said.
The result has been a sharp increase in repossessions during this year’s party season.
The Repo Jamaica representative said the busiest periods are generally June to August, as well as October and December, when thousands of people turn out for entertainment events.
“It is sad to say there is a spike during this period because of the amount of persons that are in one place,” he said.
The spokesperson said that 40 to 50 vehicles were repossessed during August last year. This year, the figure for the entire party period has almost doubled last year’s tally.
Over this weekend, he said 29 vehicles were repossessed at events in St Ann, with almost half being taken from patrons who showed up for a beach party on Sunday.
But Repo Jamaica insists partygoers are not being singled out.
“It is not that we are targeting party patrons,” the spokesperson said. Rather, large events simply provide “a very good source of finding the vehicles”.
The spokesperson said while thousands of patrons are inside enjoying themselves, bailiffs and spotters are outside searching through packed parking lots for vehicles they have been instructed to seize.
The way vehicles are parked can make access difficult, with some cars boxed in by others.
“Sometimes we are not able to get in and get all of the vehicles,” he explained. “But certainly the ones that we are able to get to, we definitely get to them.”
For the unlucky owners, the first sign that something is wrong can be an empty space where their vehicle was parked.
“You are having fun and then come out to the empty spot,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the Repo Jamaica representative said the surge in repossessions raises uncomfortable questions about financial priorities. The representative said some borrowers may be struggling to keep up with their vehicle payments while still finding money to attend expensive entertainment events.
“What we have is that it appears that persons’ priorities are skewed.” 
The spokesperson also claimed that some vehicles in arrears are being used for rental purposes, by people both local and foreign visiting Jamaica who may have no idea that the vehicles are behind on payments.
The vehicles being seized are not necessarily old or inexpensive.
“We repossessed every type of vehicle one can think of,” the company said, adding that “a lot of high-end vehicles” are among those being recovered.
The spokesperson stressed that repossession is generally the final stage of a process that can include emails, telephone calls, letters and attempts to reach borrowers through their references.
According to the repo company, financial institutions make repeated attempts to get delinquent borrowers to engage before the matter reaches the repossession stage. 
“Vehicles are not just repossessed — it is the final stage. The financial institutions are looking for them.” 
The repo man urged people who fall behind on their vehicle payments to pick up the phone before a bailiff picks up the vehicle.
“The financial institutions are not there to repossess their vehicles,” said the spokesperson. “It is their last line of defence in securing their assets.”