For lenders & dealers
We never give up on bringing you closure on an account.
C.A.R.S. of Idaho started as a repossession company, and it’s still at the heart of what we do. We’ve built our name in the North Idaho and Eastern Washington repossession industry on one thing: our clients tell other lenders how hard we work for them.
Banks, credit unions, buy-here-pay-here dealers, title lenders and finance companies send us assignments because we’re local, we know the back roads, and we stay on a file until it’s resolved. If you need it found, we’ll find it. We’re only a call away from starting the hunt.
What lenders get
- Involuntary recoveries of cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers and other titled collateral
- Voluntary surrenders, picked up or dropped off
- Skip tracing when the borrower or collateral has moved
- Condition photos and a written personal-property inventory on every unit
- Secure storage until you decide what’s next
- Transport, reconditioning and remarketing
- Process service through the same office
The C.A.R.S. standard
Certified Asset Recovery Services means doing it by the book.
Our name comes from the repossession industry’s Certified Asset Recovery Specialist (CARS) standard: the national compliance training that lenders look for in a recovery agency. Here’s what that means on every assignment we take:
- No breach of the peace. Under Idaho Code 28-9-609 a vehicle can be recovered without a court order only if it’s done peacefully. If a borrower objects or a situation turns tense, we stop and leave, and report back to you.
- No entering homes or closed garages. Idaho’s Credit Code (28-45-108) bars entry into a dwelling for consumer collateral. We don’t do it, period.
- Personal property handled properly. Belongings found in a vehicle are inventoried, stored and returned to the owner.
- Documented. Photos, times and notes go in your file, so you can answer any question about the recovery.
- Respect for people. Borrowers are your customers. We treat them that way, even on a hard day.
If your vehicle was repossessed
We know this is a rough day. Here’s what to do next.
If your vehicle is gone and you think it may have been repossessed, call your lender, or call us at (208) 964-3081. Please don’t report it stolen until you’ve checked.
- Call your lender first
Only your lender can tell you what you owe, whether you can get the vehicle back, and how. We work for the lender and can’t change the terms of your loan.
- Get your belongings back
Call (208) 964-3081 to set a time to collect personal items left in the vehicle. Bring a photo ID. Items are inventoried when the vehicle is recovered.
- Watch your mail
Before the lender sells the vehicle, Idaho law requires a written notice of the sale. Under Idaho Code 28-9-614 that notice must include a phone number where you can find out the amount needed to get the vehicle back.
- Know your options
You may be able to redeem the vehicle by paying everything owed plus expenses before it’s sold (Idaho Code 28-9-623), and some lenders will reinstate a loan. Ask.
About personal property
Your personal belongings aren’t the lender’s collateral. We keep them safe and give them back. Bolted-in add-ons like stereos, toolboxes and lift kits are a different question that depends on your contract, so ask your lender about those.
Please don’t try to take the vehicle back
Once a vehicle is in storage, removing it without paying is a crime, and it only makes things harder. Call your lender and talk it through.
Want the full picture? Read how repossession works in Idaho and what happens after a repossession.
Coverage
North Idaho and Eastern Washington.
We’re based in Coeur d’Alene and work assignments throughout North Idaho and across the line into Eastern Washington. Our navy “Lien Enforcement” Interceptor and our recovery trucks are a familiar sight on Kootenai County roads.
Have an account outside that area? Send it anyway. We’ll tell you honestly whether we can cover it.
Learning Center
Repossession, explained
How Vehicle Repossession Works in Idaho
When can a lender take a vehicle back, what are the rules a repo agent has to follow, and what happens afterward? A plain-English walk through repossession under Idaho law.
After a Repossession: Your Belongings, Your Options and What Happens Next
Your vehicle was repossessed. Here’s how to get your personal belongings back, the questions to ask your lender, what the notice of sale means, and how deficiency balances work in Idaho.
Voluntary Surrender vs. Repossession: What’s the Difference?
Handing the keys back can save you some fees and a lot of stress, but it isn’t a clean slate. What a voluntary surrender really does, what it doesn’t, and the options to consider first.