Bonfire at the Repo Lot

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You hear a bump in the night. Is it Edgar Allan Poe’s Telltale Heart? Or someone hauling away your car? If you have missed some car payments, it probably is the latter. And while most of your creditors aren’t allowed to lurk in the dark to snatch your car, your car lender can.

Recorded with steaks sizzling on a fire pit at a car repossession lot, a recent podcast from the Wall Street Journal discusses the physical risks and tight margins associated with the repo industry. Without mentioning the law that shapes this industry, the podcast shows how Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, a law passed by all state legislatures and yet virtually unknown, is far from a niche subject. That’s also an implication, to say the least, from the downfall of FirstBrands, now in bankruptcy.

Now is a good time for lawyers to ask their law schools if they regularly offer courses that include a hefty dose of UCC Article 9.

 

Comments

2 responses to “Bonfire at the Repo Lot”

  1. Joshua Livingston Avatar
    Joshua Livingston

    I assume all reputable law schools offer a Secured Transactions or Article 9 course.

    1. Melissa Jacoby Avatar
      Melissa Jacoby

      The American Bar Association Business Law Section has established a commercial law education task force to look into this; a listing in a course catalog does not mean it is being offered regularly.