LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. -

In a Webinar geared toward credit unions and other auto lending institutions, NorthLegal Training and Publications plans to outline several questions that should be answered in order for a vehicle recovery to be processed legally.

The session titled, “Repossessions: Before You Pick Up Collateral,” is set for Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. The agenda includes discussion about:

—How to determine which state laws must be obeyed.
—What issues to consider to be sure you have the right to repossess, as being “on title” sometimes isn’t nearly enough.
—Right to cure letters: What they are and how to find out if you need to send one.
—How to wisely choose a repossession agent for regular use or for use in a single case.
—Important legal requirements for agreements between you and a repossession agent and how ignoring these requirements can affect you.
—What your options are if collateral is being hidden and important, often overlooked steps you can take that will help you if the borrower later files bankruptcy.
—What you should and shouldn’t say to a borrower while a repossession order is out.

Although financial institutions from any state may attend this program, orchestrators explained this program is jointly hosted by NorthLegal Training and Publications and credit union and other consumer lending institution leagues and associations serving:

—Arizona
—California
—Colorado
—Delaware
—Hawaii
—Kansas
—Kentucky
—Louisiana
—Massachusetts
—Minnesota
—Mississippi
—Montana
—Nebraska
—New Hampshire
—New Jersey
—New Mexico
—Nevada
—North Dakota
—Oregon
—Pennsylvania
—Rhode Island
—South Dakota
—Tennessee
—Utah
—Vermont
—Washington
—West Virginia
—Wisconsin
—Wyoming

The Webinar also is being facilitated by:

—The California Credit Union Collectors Council
—The New England Adjustment Managers Association
—The NorthWest Credit Union Collectors Association
—The law firm of Moore, Brewer, Jones, Tyler & North

Leading the online discussion will be Eric North, who has represented the interests of credit unions and other financial institutions as an attorney with respect to litigation, compliance, governance, bankruptcy and collections matters since 1984.

North has appeared in state and federal courts throughout California and has argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Officials highlighted North is also a nationally recognized speaker on legal issues relating to consumer lending institutions and has presented hundreds of programs on behalf of national, state and local leagues and associations from throughout the country.

“One of the major causes of litigation against credit unions, banks and other financial institutions that make loans secured by motor vehicles is the failure to follow proper repossession procedures,” Webinar organizers insisted.

“Too often, financial institutions treat the repossession process as routine,” they continued. “Collectors are given responsibility for handling repossessions with little or no training. Procedures are developed not based on the law, but on what the financial institution has ‘always done’ or on what was done at the collector’s last place of employment. We figure if we haven’t been sued yet, we’re probably doing things right.

“During this first of a multi-part series on repossessions, creditors’ rights attorney Eric North will talk with participants about the issues you should consider before ordering repossession of a motor vehicle, as well as issues you should consider after the order has been placed but before the collateral has been recovered,” organizers went on to say.

More details about the Webinar and registration costs are available here.