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For the repo man, business zooms

Gas cost, economy mean more people can't meet payments

May 31, 2008|By Greg Garland , Sun reporter

"Seventy-five percent of vehicle repossessions are done during the night hours," said David Gryglewicz, president and chief operating officer of PAR North America, a major provider of services to the auto finance industry "However, an element of danger always exists. It doesn't matter if they are repossessing day or night."

Judy Buckley, who manages repossessions for DMAR Inc. in Upper Marlboro, said that she has been "pushed down and threatened" by owners angry about their vehicles being repossessed. She comes into contact with them when they come to the office to claim personal belongings.

The drivers on the street experience even more. Some nights, the owners wake up.

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"You have naked people who want to run after you," Buckley said. "I've had my guys offered money to put the cars down. [That's] not worth their paychecks. They're not thieves. They're people like everybody else, trying to make a living, that's all."

greg.garland@baltsun.com

Repos by year

The Motor Vehicle Administration office in Glen Burnie issues more than 10,000 certificates a year for repossession of vehicles. :

2007: 13,915

2006: 10,061

2005: 14, 688

2004: 12,918

Source: MVA

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