Bad Repo Tactics Invalid Contract?

I purchased a 94 jeep from a used car lot in maui in 2005, for about $6000 over a year of making payments ontime all the time i fell behind when the jeep starting having major problems. When the dealer contacted me about the payment. I informed them that i had hard times because i had just replaced brakes, air intake & filter, and stil had to replace several other parts (body mounts, radiator, emergency break system) just so that i could get a saftey and register the vehicle. I also informed them that the radiator had a big leak and needed to be replaced this was my biggest thing. They said that they could fix it at their shop so that i would have a running vechicle as long as I paid for the towing and cost of repairs verbally estimated at $200. They said that they would have my vechicle back to me with the radiator fixed by the following friday. I went in the following friday and Paid over $400 wich was the cost of tow & repair & partial payment. to get my jeep back. They said that they were waiting to see if i would pay before they would start work ( not what we originally agreed to). Two weeks went by and i called them to see if the jeep was fixed. they said they were still working on it. Over a month had passed and then they finally called me stating that the jeep was done and if i wanted to pick it up i would have to pay $800 to get the vehicle back. I asked to speak with the owner who I set up the agreement with and he refused to talk to me. Over and over again i tried getting in touch with him and he would refuse my calls or not call me back. a week later I got a call from a credit agency stating that it had been turned over to collections.. I am now furious and don't know what to do I only owed $1500 of the original 6000 and they took my jeep for repairs to 30 days to fix it and then repoed it casue they wanted more money. when you calculate it out thats $1200 in a month for a jeep whos payment was only about $250 a month. I also found out from looking at my jeep contract that I am listed as the seller and they(the dealer) are listed as the buyer ( can i use this in any way?) It's not that i don't agree with them about the $1500 owed it's that they held me hostage and are still currently doing so to get money.


Please help i dont know what to do

An attorney should review the contracts you've mentioned to make an accurate assessment here, but I think some of your questions may be answered through your local Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, in particular whether or not your situation conforms to Hawaii's Lemon Laws. (see Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs - RICO Overview/Services.) Even if the circumstances don't meet Hawaii's legal definition, I think you may have recourse with the Office of Consumer Protection (Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs - OCP Overview/Services) when it comes to the dealership's business practices. Accepting your post at face value, it would appear to me that the dealership has caused undue delay in returning your vehicle and I'd question the amount of charges now being presented to you. Have you ever received an itemized bill totalling the amount being quoted to you? What sort of late fees/charges are being included and have they been adequately disclosed? The manager's refusal to adequately answer your questions or even address your telephone calls is a bit questionable as well, in my opinion.

I would suggest all further contact with the dealership be made in writing, via either certified or 'signature required' mail. You are entitled to a detailed bill, either from the collection agency involved or from the dealership itself. (I'd contact both places in writing, personally.) I also believe the Dept of Consumer Affairs may be quite interested in the verbiage of the contract you mentioned, especially as you are now listed as "seller." Sounds to me as if you've inadvertently 'signed over ownership' without being disclosed as well. Again, it's probably advisable to have an attorney review everything.

In the meantime, you can at least begin by contacting that collection agency. You do have certain rights by law and can request they cease further contact. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, in particular, § 805(c). Communication in connection with debt collection [15 USC 1692c]
may be of interest to you.

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck.