Repossession in CA and a knock on the door

[bobcat]

For some odd reason I find myself thinking of what happened to me a long time ago and now just finally wanting to figure out what is going on. Here is the situation that happen to me back in 2001/2002 the car goes unpaid for about a year since i was living out of it and had no address.

I left for new oppertunities in a new state on the other side of the nation. Being jobless for about 8 months and living out of the car I just couldnt get a break.I could not keep up with my car payments and figured the best thing to do was just let the car get repo since i couldnt take it with me and my sister did not have a car at the time, so i told her to just use it till they take it. 2-4 months later i get a call saying they took the car. But the odd thing was they knocked on her door asking if I was there and if i was her brother. I believe she said he was a sheriff. But I was just thinking in the state of CA they could just take the car without a word.

Guess my question is Why would they knock on the door sayin it was a sheriff and why would they ask for me and so forth? I know nothing on the laws there about repo and it just boggles my mind now for what happened back then. I mean if im in trouble in anyway how can i find out and try to make it right? Its not like I was hiding or anything my work info and everything is blasted everywhere for them to find.

My D/L I have not renewed, public transportation and car pool is available to me. But in this state been trying to get a new one but need my birth certificate that was stolen out of the car and been trying to get a new one ever since i got back on my feet. But can get a new one in a heart beat if I go back to CA.This is why I ask this forum for help and the steps i can take cause I just dont know what could happen to me if I go back to CA. I want to make everything right but at the same time it scares me on what can happen to me after finally getting my life back and wanting to get married to the women who has been the love of my life for the past 4 and a half years. Please help this emotional sleepless man with any helpful info you can give or just your two cents. Thank you all so much in advance

[Mr. Knowitall]

What, exactly, is your question?

[bobcat]

I guess my question to put it shortly is Why would a person come to the door saying they were the sheriff asking for me?and then saying OK and just take it. In the state of CA i thought they can just take the car without any notice? Pretty much if its something Bad i would like to know the steps to take to find out what is going on and how is the best way to clear it. I know nothing on repo cars just collections. This was back in the year late 2001/early 2002

[Mr. Knowitall]

Maybe it was a deputy enforcing a court order. Maybe it was an off-duty deputy who moonlights as a repo man. Maybe it was a repo man who has found that people are more compliant if he claims to be a cop. Maybe it was something else....