Consumer complaint received 2022-11-08
Company: SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION
State: CA
Product: Vehicle loan or lease
Sub-product: Loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease
Sub-issue: Billing problem

Complaint:
In XXXX my father was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic XXXX. We went to San Diego County Credit Union, where he had his vehicle loan. He made me the beneficiary without any concerns from the bank. He died shortly after in XX/XX/XXXX. I assumed making the payments on his vehicle loan and kept possession of the truck. Never missed a payment and maintained the loan and vehicle. Around XX/XX/XXXX, over 14 months later, I contacted the bank for the account number so I could start making automatic payments from a different checking account. At that time I notified the agent of my fathers passing. She was very kind and told me there were no issues because my XXXX had put me on his account. I continued to make the vehicle payments timely. 
Approx XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call from a very rude collector from XXXX asking me where the vehicle was parked. I was unnerved by the question and ask why they are asking where it is when the payments are current. The agent stated I couldnt make payments on a deceased persons account. I asked the agent to have XXXX from the branch contact me, because he was aware of our situation. I continued to make payments. They continued to be cashed. At some point on XXXX I received another call from a very condescending collector asking me why I havent paid the truck off and telling me the vehicle isnt mine to pay on. I again requested a call from XXXX at the branch. 
XXXX and I spoke when he called me and he explained I needed to refinance the loan into my name. I told him I was confused because the reason my extremely sick father came into the branch was to do exactly that. He said we simple added me to the checking and savings accounts and not the loan. Which is confusing because my XXXX banked at XXXX. So our only purpose would have been to handle the vehicle loan. 
I told XXXX I was in the middle of refinancing my home and could he give me more time to decide either to payoff the vehicle or refi. He agreed. 
XXXX called me again on XX/XX/XXXX and asked the status of my refi/payoff. I told him my brother would be refinancing the truck for me, however he was on XXXX and we would come in as soon as he returned. XXXX agreed and I told him we would call for an appt upon his return. At this time, payments are still current. 
This morning, XX/XX/XXXX, I awoke to my vehicle missing in my driveway. I contact the police and learn my vehicle has been repossessed. When I contact SDCCU, they inform me, the reversed my payments for the last 90 days and that authorized them to repo the vehicle. 
At no point did anyone contact me to EVER to inform me if any past due payments. They Took 3 months of payments and put them into my dads savings account. 
My brother is returning from abroad today, however because the vehicle is impounded now I have to pay in full to retrieve vehicle from tow. Please help me understand how this practice is legal or acceptable. At no point did anyone advise me the vehicle was in default, or in danger of being repossessed. I feel this practice was entirely predatory. I am a single mom without the ability to pay repossession fees and impound. I had to miss work today because my vehicle was unknowingly taken from my driveway. If XXXX has communicated to me they were putting my payments into my dads savings account and I was in jeopardy of repossession, I wouldnt have asked XXXX to wait for my brothers return from abroad to refinance. This was completely miss handled and I feel I was mislead into thinking there was no urgent matter. I have never missed a car or mortgage payment. I pay my debt timely and to find myself sitting in the rain at a tow yard seems pretty low for a bank my dad trusted to take care of his daughter upon his death.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation