Complaint Review: Crescent Bank & Trust - New Orleans Louisiana

My husband and I have had our 1998 Ford Contour for a year now. We hate that we have bought this car because we have had so many mechanical problems with this car. We told Crescent Bank that we have a lemon and that there is an issue with us being on time with the payment for last month, but they never returned our call. My husband and I agreed to pay the notes due last week on Friday. I got paid that Thursday and went and paid the February note and I got up the next morning, which was Friday and paid the March note. When I came back in to get my son dressed the repo man was out there saying that he was coming to pick up my car. I said, "No sir, I have already paid my note." He said, "Well mamn, I am not coming to repo your car, the bank wants you to catch up on your payments." He then said, "Go ahead and call the bank....if you give me the keyes to your car, I will not charge you a repo fee." So being the trusting person that I am....I gave him the keyes to my car. Before he drove off he said, "Mamn, if you get this taken care of I will have your car back to you by 9:30 A.M. and we will just make it look like that this never happened." I said,"OK, thank you so much sir." He said, "You are welcome mamn." I went into the house and called Charles Williams at Crescent Bank & Trust, who is the collections manager. I asked to speak with him. I asked him why did he come and repo my car when I had already paid my note. He said, "Because I did not have the decency enough to call them and let them know what the deal was." I started crying because he was hollering at me. I told him, "Sir, we have had many mechanical problems with the car and I even have had to get a rental car to drive to work, so that I could get my car out of the shop, pay for the rental car, and pay my car note all at the same time." He said, "Well I understand that, but you are obligated to make payments on time, regardless, or we can come get the car even its only 30 days late, because it is a high interest rate loan." I said ok, "Will you please tell them to bring me back my car." He said that "I will tell Ms. Woodard to set it up to pick up your car, but you will have to pay repo fees." I said, "The man told me that I would not have to pay any repo fees." He said that we are not responsible for that, you will have to pay repo fees." I said, "OK, I need my car back so that I could meet theis obligation." He said. "OK." Mrs. Woodard called my husband to tell him that he would need to pay $200.00, show a driver's licence, and proof of insurance and that the car note cannot be late or they can come and repo the car. She said to wait 5 minutes and call this place American Lenders to set up an appointment to come and pick up the car. When I talked to American Lenders they told me that it was going to cost me 295.00 to get my car back. I asked was that something that they charged. They said that it was something that they charged. They even told me that they have no idea where I got that I would not have to pay a fee. The bottom line is that they are dirty SOB's and there isn't anywhere in my contract stating that they can come and get my car when they got good and ready. I hope that they run across the wrong person and that they really break them off something for the better! Willie Jackson, Mississippi
U.S.A.