Consumer complaint received 2020-06-08
Product: Vehicle loan or lease — Loan
Issue: Struggling to pay your loan — Loan balance remaining after the vehicle is repossessed and sold
Company: Security National Automotive Acceptance (NY)

I am an XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and have consulted with a Judge Advocate on this issue. On XX/XX/XXXX I purchased a XXXX XXXX XXXX ( VIN XXXX ) from XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, NY for {$18.00}, XXXX. I financed the vehicle through Security National Automotive Acceptance   Company ( SNAAC  ). With the interest rate of 18.25 %, the total amount I financed through SNAAC was {$28000.00}. My monthly payments were {$460.00} for 60 months. On or around XX/XX/XXXX I was XXXX to XXXX. My wife at the time, XXXX, transported the vehicle back to our home state of Kentucky. She was using the vehicle while I was XXXX. At some point during my XXXX, the vehicle was allegedly stolen from her. The driver whom I did not know, XXXX XXXX, was apparently pulled over and arrested in XXXX, Mississippi. After she was arrested, my vehicle was impounded at the XXXX Impound lot. 
My wife at the time and I had already decided that we were going to divorce and were no longer in contact, therefore she did not inform me that my vehicle had been impounded. I am not completely sure when this all occurred, as I have not been able to get much information. However, I was not informed in any way that my vehicle was impounded by the impound lot, police department, or SNAAC. Shortly before returning home from XXXX, XXXX finally informed me that my vehicle was impounded. She did not tell me any other information as to the circumstances or location, but I knew from my bank account that she had been in XXXX, Mississippi. 
Once I returned to XXXX XXXX  from XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I began to call different impound lots around that area and eventually located the XXXX Impound lot where my car was impounded. They informed me over the phone that they found SNAACs  information in the glove box and contacted them. My information was also in the glove box, therefore the impound lot could have easily found out who the owner of the vehicle was. The impound lot told me that the lien holder ( SNAAC ) told them that they did not want to retrieve the vehicle and therefore the vehicle could be sold at auction in order to cover impound costs after 30 days, which it was. The impound lot never tried to get in contact with me when the car came to them, and to my knowledge, never enquired whether I was a servicemember. SNAAC, knowing I was a servicemember, never tried to contact me regarding the car. They simply allowed the impound lot to have the vehicle, and presumably were never going to inform me about the location and condition of my vehicle. They certainly never received permission from me or a court order authorizing them to release my vehicle to the impound lot. 
Because I no longer had the vehicle or anyway to retrieve it, I immediately turned off payments for the vehicle, and was contacted only then by SNAAC. I had not heard anything from them before turning off payments, even though they were aware that I was XXXX. Once I stopped payments they began harassing me to collect the vehicle costs. They even called my chain of command and threatened to interfere with my XXXX career and security clearance in an effort to get payment. They also harassed my father. Once the constant calls began, I went to JAG at XXXX XXXX. I told them the entire situation, but they told me since it did not occur in New York state, they could not help me. I agreed to make smaller payments of {$100.00} to SNAAC to get them to stop harassing and in fear of their threats to my career. I made 1 or 2 of those payments before stopping payment all together. I stopped paying because I decided to try to file a loss and a stolen vehicle report with my insurance ( XXXX ). My claim was eventually denied, as XXXX would not cooperate and XXXX would not allow me to claim my car as stolen. For months I made attempts to contact the impound lot, police department, and all parties of the event to collect information for my claim but no one would help me. Eventually I gave up. 
I had never heard anything from SNAAC in regards to the owed money of over XXXX being sent to collections until I checked my credit report in XXXX and saw it had been sent to XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX. SNAAC had threatened to list the debt as a repossession, even though it was not one. They said they did not care and could put whatever they wanted on my credit report, and that the repossession would hinder my career and future. I tried to dispute the debt, with no luck. The repossession information on my credit has continually made it difficult when trying to finance any other vehicles since then. I decided as a final effort, and from advice from my current wife, to contact the DOJ regarding this issue. Since then, I have consulted with a Legal Assistance Judge Advocate in XXXX XXXX, XXXX, where I was on rotation.