Educational webinars from the American Recovery Association (ARA) and Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co. are scheduled in the coming days, with both sessions focused on complex topics associated with vehicle repossessions.

Coming first, ARA has a session titled, “License Plate Info or Body Armor: Why Should We Have to Choose?” It features ARA treasurer and secretary Marcelle Egley of ABA Recovery Service in San Diego and Michael Farhood, president and founder of Benchmark Asset Resolution and vice president of California Association of Licensed Repossessors (CALR).

The association explained why it’s hosting this session, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday.

“It’s not common knowledge for our industry partners,” ARA said. “For most recovery agencies, license plate information is one of the largest annual expenses outside of payroll and benefits, easily reaching into multiple five figures per year.

“The thing is, lenders have the plate information already, so why is it so difficult for that information to make it into the hands of the recovery agent without paying for it?   Sometimes multiple times, Why? We often treat plate info as ‘just a cost of doing business,’” ARA continued.

“But we think it’s time for that to change,” the association said. “Our agents in the field are in more danger than ever before. More agents suffered violent attacks (many deadly) in 2023 than any year prior. That trend continues. The money we spend on plate information could go a long way to equipping our agents with body armor and body cameras, safety gear that could save their lives.

“We have a few ideas to solve this dilemma, and we’ll share them with you,” ARA said.

The session can be attended after completing the online registration via this website.

Then at 11 a.m. (ET) on March 8, Weltman will continue its Ask a Pro Series — an ongoing, virtual Q&A featuring its in-house attorneys and industry professionals.

The series will address some of the most popular questions regarding creditors’ rights, from general best practices for your portfolio to new trends and insights, and even specific case examples.

For the next installment, shareholder Milos Gvozdenovic and attorney Garry Masterson will delve into the topic of bankruptcy. Key takeaways will include lien perfection for vehicles and reaffirmation agreements.

“With Milos’ and Garry’s combined 25 years in the industry, they are prepared to answer the industry’s top questions regarding secured auto loans — all so you can improve your recovery,” Weltman said.

Registration for Weltman’s session can be completed via this website.