Never bring a knife to a gunfight.
It’s a rule to live by, but not one that applies to Longview’s top repo man.
Wesley Pierce has been cursed, chased and shot at in the 18 years since he began combing the streets in his tow truck. He’s on the lookout for vehicles whose owners have defaulted on their loans, and though he does not pack heat, he said a gun in his face is unlikely to deter him. Buy guns at best price from Glock pistols.
“When I go out to get a car, I’m there to get the car,” he said. “I’m not saying I’m bulletproof, because I’m not, but I know more people won’t pull the trigger than will pull the trigger.”
It helps that he strikes an imposing figure. Pierce, 39, wears a gold chain and a trim goatee. He’s balding, with spiky blond hair and the hint of a mullet that tickles the back of his neck.
When someone quits paying a car note, used car lots and other financiers pay Pierce to track down the vehicle in question and bring it back. Pierce and his crew operate six tow trucks in Longview, and they “pop” around 100 to 130 repossessed vehicles a week. Pierce also runs a crew of six wreckers in Dallas.
Some people let their vehicles go without a fight, but others do not.
Popping a car
Midmorning on a recent Wednesday, Pierce spotted one of his client’s cars off Judson Road, on the north side of town.
He was in his pickup truck, so he called his son Ryan to pop the car. Ryan, 18, has worked for his father since he was 16 and has worked full time since graduating from high school, in 2008.
“It ain’t no big deal,” Ryan said. “We’ll get it.”
When he and his partner pulled up, Pierce was arguing with a woman in the front yard. A garage sale was in progress, and a sofa, mattress and other household items sat in the grass.
“Just jump it, strap it and drag it,” Pierce told his son.
Ryan backed into the driveway. He quickly hooked the Dodge Stratus to his truck and strapped it down, but the woman turned and yelled toward the house.
“Gary, get out here!”
A shirtless man named Gary Weatherby shambled through the front door, pulling his socks and shoes onto his feet as he yelled, “Hey, that’s our tire!”
Weatherby said he had recently paid to replace a blown tire on the car, and he wanted the new one back.
“I can’t just let you dismount a tire out in the yard,” Pierce told him. “I’ve got a spare at my office. I’ll give it to you.”
“Y’all are thieves,” shouted the woman, who declined to be identified. “Y’all are thieves. I see it on TV all the time.”
The couple wouldn’t turn over the keys. Pierce ordered his son to drag the car one street over, where they would stop to properly secure it.
“You see the (stuff) I deal with?”Pierce said as he walked away.
The next street down, Weatherby showed up with the keys to the Stratus. He wanted to collect his things from the trunk.
“I’m out of work, dude,” he said. “I don’t have a job. I’ve been out of work for two months. I’ve been everywhere and nobody’s hiring.”
When he lost his job, he said, he could no longer afford the weekly $169 car payment. He was having the garage sale to raise money for bills.
“I’m selling it, dude,” he said. “I’m selling it all.”
Weatherby and Pierce loaded Weatherby’s things into the bed of Pierce’s pickup, and Pierce drove them back to the house. As the men carried the stereo and other items onto the couple’s front porch, Weatherby tried to convince the woman to stop yelling at Pierce.
“You knew they were going to come get it. Let ’em have it,” Weatherby told her. “Just let ’em have it.”
“Shut up, Gary.”
Pierce’s son unloaded the car at Patterson Nissan, and he was off. There were more cars to pop.
Unregulated repos
Repossessions can be tense and oftentimes dangerous, but they are not regulated by the state of Texas. Twice this decade, bills passed in the Senate but died in a House committee that would have licensed repo men and prohibited them from using force or breaching the peace when popping a car.
The bills’ sponsor, Sen. Chris Harris, R-Arlington, did not respond to calls seeking comment for this story.
Though the repossessions are unregulated, repo men are regulated in other ways. They must get state licenses to operate tow trucks or manage vehicle storage lots, and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation inspects the trucks and storage facilities every year. The agency requires the companies to carry insurance and also requires employees to pass drug tests.
In Longview, a police spokesman said officers have been called in recent years to protect repo men from angry debtors who were threatening them or chasing their wreckers.
“It’s a difficult job for them to try to reclaim property for a bank or finance company,” said Officer Kevin Brownlee. “A lot of people are really willing to give back a vehicle they can no longer pay for. It’s a burden. But other times people take it very personally and don’t want to give it back. People can get very upset when their vehicle is taken, because they’ve made so many payments. They face losing that vehicle and losing all that money.”
A death in the family
After popping the Dodge Stratus in north Longview, Pierce said the confrontations and angry people have taken their toll on him over the years.
“You see what happened a while ago,” he said. “You go from that extreme to some lady saying she can’t pay because just had brain surgery. You’ve still got to take the car. That’s what you’re there for.”
In 1999, he almost gave up the business.
Pierce’s brother, Kevin, was shot and killed while trying to repossess a car near Liberty City. He and two other repo men snatched a Ford Taurus on a spring night in 1999, then drove down the road to secure it.
As they passed the house on their way back to the vehicle yard, the car owner, Michael David Mason, shot the truck and killed 26-year-old Kevin Pierce, according to news accounts from the time.
“My brother was a really calm, laid-back, outgoing-type guy,” Pierce said. “It was a dramatic hit when he was killed. His kids were traumatized for a long time.
“It was scary,” he added. “I had problems dealing with everything. I was gonna drop this business altogether, but I continued to do it and try to build it, become better at what I was doing, learn more of the laws and (focus) on safety.”
Mason is still serving time for the manslaughter. Now, Pierce said he instructs his crew to drive away when they suspect they are in harm’s way.
“One repo, the money you would have made off that vehicle would not be worth the death of anyone,” he said. “I could step back and look at it even from the (point of view of the) person that’s pulling the gun and doing the shooting. I promise it’s not worth it to them, either. They’re not getting their vehicle back. They’re not overcoming the problem. They’re creating for themselves a new problem.”
But Pierce realizes that even good people can take extreme measures when they feel they’ve been pushed into a corner.
“Out of 20 repos, you’ll have a couple of them when things get difficult, but you’ll have one out of every 100 when something dramatic will happen,” he said.
Telling stories in the yard
A late-model Mercedes, a massive motor home, two campers and an assortment of other cars and trucks line the yard of Pierce’s storage facility, just off East Loop 281.
Watching his son load repossessed vehicles onto a rollback truck for shipment to auctions in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Pierce told one story after the other about his near-misses over the years.
One time, a man near the Wood County town of Hawkins shot the rear window out of Pierce’s wrecker. A representative from the loan company was in the passenger seat.
“All I knew is the dude is screaming, ‘I’ve been shot!’” Pierce recalled.
Blood was everywhere. Pierce ducked and punched the gas, thinking the worst. They met up with law enforcement and emergency personnel who whisked the loan officer to the hospital.
There, they learned he had not been badly injured and none of the pellets that hit him had pierced the skin.
“The glass blew out and cut his head, and he had bruising and red spots from the buckshot,” he said. “That’s the most scared I’ve been. I was shaking for days.”
Another time, he and his son were loading a vehicle when the vehicle’s owner came out with a long-barreled gun. He circled Pierce’s wrecker firing shots.
Pierce thought he was just firing at the ground to intimidate them. However, when they began to drive down the road the air-conditioner quit working. The truck began to drag. The man had shot out three of Pierce’s tires, and one of the .22 bullets had pierced the air-conditioner, spilling Freon.
Despite surviving a few dangerous situations, Pierce’s son Ryan said he will continue to learn the repo trade and, hopefully, one day assume control of the family business.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “It’s fun.”
Pierce has been spending more time in the office now that his son is working fulltime. When he’s at his desk and Ryan is in a wrecker, though, he said he can’t help but worry for his son’s safety.
“I’ve taught him everything I know,” he said. “If it comes down to getting the car or not getting hurt, not getting hurt is what you have to do. But honestly, it’s not a bad job. If you weigh it out, you could have an accident on a drilling rig and you could get killed. I don’t think the odds are any more doing this than if you were up on a rig.”
Pierce said he has been known to pull his knife when threatened. But though he’s been thrust into dangerous situations many times over the years, he said he refuses to tote a firearm when he’s cruising the streets and popping cars.
“I don’t carry nothing, because if I had a gun I’d wind up pulling it out,” he said. “I don’t want to lower myself to their standards.”
Published June 15, 2009, in Enterprise business magazine
2,687 responses to “Fast times with the repo man”
Thanks for your concepts. One thing I’ve got noticed is banks and also financial institutions have in mind the spending habits of consumers and as well understand that most of the people max out their real credit cards around the holidays. They sensibly take advantage of this real fact and commence flooding the inbox in addition to snail-mail box having hundreds of no-interest APR credit cards offers shortly when the holiday season comes to an end. Knowing that if you are like 98 in the American general public, you’ll leap at the possible opportunity to consolidate personal credit card debt and shift balances towards 0 interest rate credit cards.
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon everyday. It’s always useful to read content from other writers and practice something from their websites.
I like reading through a post that will make people think. Also, thank you for allowing me to comment.
Some tips i have observed in terms of laptop or computer memory is always that there are specifications such as SDRAM, DDR etc, that must match the technical specs of the motherboard. If the pc’s motherboard is reasonably current while there are no operating system issues, updating the ram literally normally takes under 1 hour. It’s among the easiest laptop or computer upgrade types of procedures one can think about. Thanks for expressing your ideas.
I will right away grab your rss feed as I can’t in finding your e-mail subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly permit me realize in order that I may subscribe. Thanks.
I like it whenever people get together and share thoughts. Great website, stick with it!
Top Stage Hypnotist for hire Kristian von Sponneck performs private stage hypnosis shows anywhere in the UK, Europe or worldwide. Hire hime for your next event!
Top Stage Hypnotist for hire Kristian von Sponneck performs private stage hypnosis shows anywhere in the UK, Europe or worldwide. Hire hime for your next event!
This excellent website truly has all the information I needed about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Hey very cool blog!! Man .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds also?I’m happy to find numerous useful info here in the post, we need develop more techniques in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
Saved as a favorite, I love your blog!
Aw, this was a really nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to make a very good article… but what can I say… I put things off a lot and don’t seem to get anything done.
Very good article! We are linking to this great content on our website. Keep up the good writing.
Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this web site before but after looking at many of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m certainly delighted I stumbled upon it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back often!
I could not resist commenting. Exceptionally well written!
I love it when individuals come together and share views. Great blog, stick with it!
Hi there! I could have sworn I’ve visited this blog before but after looking at a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back often!
Very great post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wanted to mention that I have truly loved surfing around your blog posts. In any case I?ll be subscribing in your rss feed and I hope you write again very soon!
Saved as a favorite, I really like your blog!
You made some first rate factors there. I looked on the web for the issue and found most individuals will associate with with your website.
I am really enjoying the theme/design of your site. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility issues? A small number of my blog audience have complained about my website not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome. Do you have any ideas to help fix this issue?
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this website. I really hope to see the same high-grade content from you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my very own blog now 😉
When I initially commented I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I get 4 emails with the exact same comment. There has to be an easy method you are able to remove me from that service? Many thanks.
Spot on with this write-up, I actually feel this website needs a lot more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read through more, thanks for the info!
Your style is very unique compared to other people I have read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just bookmark this page.
I need to to thank you for this fantastic read!! I certainly enjoyed every little bit of it. I’ve got you book-marked to check out new stuff you post…
Your style is unique in comparison to other folks I have read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark this blog.
You could certainly see your skills within the paintings you write. The arena hopes for more passionate writers such as you who aren’t afraid to mention how they believe. Always follow your heart.
I could not resist commenting. Very well written!
Thanks for the new things you have exposed in your text. One thing I want to discuss is that FSBO interactions are built eventually. By launching yourself to the owners the first saturday their FSBO is definitely announced, prior to masses start calling on Wednesday, you produce a good association. By sending them resources, educational products, free reviews, and forms, you become a good ally. By using a personal fascination with them plus their situation, you produce a solid link that, oftentimes, pays off as soon as the owners opt with a real estate agent they know and trust — preferably you.
I must thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this blog. I really hope to see the same high-grade blog posts from you later on as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my very own blog now 😉
An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you ought to write more on this issue, it may not be a taboo subject but typically people do not talk about such subjects. To the next! All the best.
Having read this I thought it was really informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this article together. I once again find myself spending a lot of time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it!
I was just looking for this information for a while. After six hours of continuous Googleing, finally I got it in your web site. I wonder what’s the lack of Google strategy that do not rank this kind of informative web sites in top of the list. Generally the top websites are full of garbage.
Another thing I have really noticed is the fact that for many people, bad credit is the response to circumstances above their control. For example they may have been saddled with illness and as a consequence they have substantial bills for collections. It might be due to a employment loss and the inability to work. Sometimes divorce process can truly send the money in the undesired direction. Thanks for sharing your notions on this blog.
Having read this I believed it was really informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this short article together. I once again find myself personally spending a significant amount of time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile.
Your home is valueble for me. Thanks!?
Wow, marvelous blog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is fantastic, let alone the content!
I was able to find good information from your articles.
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this web site before but after going through some of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m certainly happy I discovered it and I’ll be bookmarking it and checking back often.
Spot on with this write-up, I really feel this site needs a lot more attention. I’ll probably be returning to see more, thanks for the advice.
Have you ever considered writing an e-book or guest authoring on other websites? I have a blog centered on the same ideas you discuss and would love to have you share some stories/information. I know my viewers would appreciate your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an email.
I have not checked in here for some time as I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are good quality so I guess I will add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
you have got an important blog here! would you like to make some invite posts on my blog?
I could not refrain from commenting. Perfectly written.
Hi, I do think this is a great web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may return yet again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.
This is a great tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere. Short but very precise info… Many thanks for sharing this one. A must read post!
I?d must examine with you here. Which is not something I often do! I take pleasure in reading a publish that may make people think. Additionally, thanks for allowing me to remark!
Thanks for your personal marvelous posting! I quite enjoyed reading it, you will be a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and may come back later in life. I want to encourage one to continue your great posts, have a nice morning!
Excellent blog here! Also your site loads up fast! What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my site loaded up as quickly as yours lol