Matoesian
Madison County Circuit Judge Andreas Matoesian was assigned to a case of a Granite City repossession company being sued for allegedly chasing and assaulting owners of a Jeep who say the vehicle was never supposed to be taken.
Todd and Stacey Hindrichs filed a lawsuit June 1 in Madison County Circuit Court against United Repossessors Inc. and three of its employees. TD Auto Finance LLC also is named as a defendant.
Madison County Circuit Judge William Mudge on June 15 approved the appointment of Rick Burrows to serve as special process server to deliver a summons to the defendant.
According to the complaint, the Hindrichs were at home in Jefferson County, Mo. in February when a female employee of URI arrived and began to repossess the couple's 2005 Jeep Cherokee in the driveway. Todd Hindrichs went outside to ask the employee what she was doing. She was there to take the Jeep.
Hindrichs called his finance company, TD Auto Finance, to confirm the account was not delinquent.
Hindrichs says the loan company's representative explained to the URI employee the account was current and the car was not to be repossessed.
At that time, Hindrichs says another URI employee pulled a tow truck into position to load the Jeep and told Hindrichs they were taking the car despite what the finance representative told them, allegedly saying, "If we don't take the vehicle, we don't get paid and we're getting paid tonight."
The Hindrichs accuse TD Finance and URI and its employees of violating the Uniform Commercial Code for wrongfully taking their car. The defendants are also accused of assault and battery, trespass, emotional distress and conversion. The Hindrichs seek more than $50,000 in damages and court fees.
Attorneys Eric Evans of Granite City and Jason A. Charpentier of St. Louis represent the Hindrichs.
Madison County Circuit Court Case No. 12-L-767