Charlotte woman thought she did everything right until company repossessed her car

Monique James has her Jeep back now, but she says it wasn’t easy or cheap.

She told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke she bought it from American Car Center a year ago. The dealer went out of business in March and filed for bankruptcy.

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A company called Westlake Portfolio Management told me it took over the financial side of things and mailed letters to customers of American Car Center, saying, from that point on, they should pay Westlake.

But James says she doesn’t remember seeing that letter and she kept paying American Car Center instead. James says she paid on time too, but it’s not clear what happened to those payments.

“I didn’t know who to make the payments to once they went bankrupt,” she said. “And then my car’s gone.”

James says Westlake repossessed her Jeep last month. “I’m like, ‘I got to get my car back. I got to go to work,’” she said.

She says she had to shell out $1,600 to get it back. “For low-income people like myself, that’s crazy. It’s ridiculous,” she said.

Westlake would not discuss the case with Action 9 for privacy reasons.

ALSO READ: US Auto Sales closes suddenly, some customers scrambling for answers

If you bought a vehicle from American Car Center, make sure you’re paying Westlake.

The same goes if you bought from US Auto Sales. That dealer closed all its lots around the beginning of May, including here in the Charlotte area.

If you have a question, call 877-854-1898 or email wpmcustomercare@wpmservicing.com.

If you have a complaint, click here.

VIDEO: American Car Center closes dealerships suddenly, customers left with questions