235,000 CORONAVIRUS CASES SINCE
JANUARY.
1600 OF THOSE WERE CONFIRMED
WITHIN THE LAST 24 HOURS ALONG
WITH 7 DEATHS.
SOME CAR OWNERS ARE
LEARNING THE HARD WAY PAST DUE
PAYMENTS ARE NO LONGER BEING
FORGIVEN IN THE ERA OF COVID-
19.
JEREMY ROSS REPORT THE STATE IS
ONCE AGAIN ALLOWING THE REPO
MAN TO YOUR RIDE.
Reporter: THEY TARGET CARS
WHOSE PAYMENTS ARE FAR PAST
DUE, BUT THE ABILITY TO
REPOSSESS HER VEHICLE BY
RECOVERY AGENTS WAS MOSTLY PUT
ON HOLD BY THE STATE DUE TO THE
CRACKLING ECONOMIC IMPACT OF
COVID-19.
I DON'T THINK WE ARE READY
FOR THAT.
Reporter: THAT IS UNTIL
AUGUST 22nd WHEN ILLINOIS
ALLOWED WORKERS TO BEGIN TO
START REPOSSESSING VEHICLES.
THIS RECOVERY AGENT ASKED WE
NOT SHOW HIS FACE ON CAMERA.
HE HAS REPOSSESSED THOUSANDS OF
CARS OVER AN 18 YEAR CAREER.
TAKING A FAMILY'S CAR COULD BE
A FINANCIAL DEATH SENTENCE
DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THAT CAN LEAD TO MOUNTING
DANGER WHEN TRYING TO DO HIS JOB
.
I AM IN FEAR FOR MY SAFETY
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
YOU THINK IT IS ONLY A
MATTER OF TIME BEFORE YOU ARE
HURT OR WORSE?
ABSOLUTELY.
Reporter: IS NOW THE RIGHT
TIME TO START REPOSSESSING
CARS?
WHY NOW?
I BELIEVE IT WAS THE FINANCE
INDUSTRY MORE THAN ANYTHING.
OTHER ONES ARE HURTING AND
THEY WILL PUSH THE ENVELOPE.
SOME BANKS ARE BEING
FLEXIBLE WITH PAST DUE LOANS,
OTHERS ARE NOT.
THAT IS KEEPING SOME RE-
POSSESSORS BUSY.
I DON'T THINK THAT IS RIGHT.
Reporter: BEFORE THE
PANDEMIC, HIS COMPANY WOULD
REPOSSESS ABOUT 700 CARS PER
MONTH. NOW THAT THE
RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED, HE IS
FORECASTING ABOUT DOUBLE THAT
OVER THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
BECAUSE OF THE BACKLOG, WE
COULD WORK SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
AND STILL NOT CATCH UP.
Reporter: JEREMY ROSS, CBS2
NEWS .
