Repossession notice class actions
Jan 01, 2015OUTCOME: Settlement favoring consumers
Over the last 15 years, I have been in the forefront in the plaintiffs’ consumer bar in bringing class action claims against automobile finance companies for repossession violations. In particular, I h ... ave been involved on the plaintiffs’ side in over 75 class action matters alleging violations of the Rees-Levering Act's post-repossession notice provisions. In 1998, I was one of the first lawyers in the state to identify and prosecute class action cases against automotive lenders who were not complying with the Rees-Levering Automobile Sales Finance Act, because their post-repossession notices (“NOI”) failed to contain all of the disclosures required by Civil Code § 2983.2. I have sued every major lender for their practices in this area, including Chrysler, Ford, Volkswagen Nissan, Toyota and GMAC, all of whom had failed to comply with the anti-deficiency provisions of the Rees-Levering Act. The resulting settlements have almost invariably resulted in full relief to class members, currently exceeding $1 billion in debt relief. The National Association of Consumer Advocates has praised these settlements as a landmark in consumer advocacy.
