CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Two Chicagoans are suing finance companies after they fell behind on their car payments and the companies disabled their vehicles with what’s commonly known as a “kill switch.”
Attorney Daniel Schneider, with the non-profit Legal Action Chicago, is representing Tracey Calhoun and Venancio Orozco, both of whom lost their jobs at the start of the pandemic and fell behind on their car payments. Then, their cars were remotely disabled, and, two and a half years later, still are.
Both Calhoun and Orozco are being sued for the amounts due on their loans.
“On a basic, moral level, we fundamentally stand by the idea that profiteering during a pandemic is just reprehensible. Vehicles are one the most important tools that people have available to keep themselves out of poverty,” Schneider said.
He said under the law you are not allowed to disable a vehicle in order to repossess it. They could repossess the cars and sue, he said, or leave the cars with the owners and sue. But,t hey can’t render the cars useless and sue, he argued.
He believes the use of kill switches is illegal and the case could have wider repercussions as a class-action.
The suit was filed against Overland Bond & Investment Corporation and Car Credit Center Corporation.
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