Repossession Attorney in Milwaukee

20 Years of Bankruptcy Experience, Fighting to Keep You in Your Car

When a lender is threatening to repossess your car, or already has, time is the resource you can’t afford to waste. I’m Attorney Andrew Sapinski, and my practice at Sapinski Law Office, S.C. is concentrated on bankruptcy and debt relief. With more than 20 years of experience and over 2,000 bankruptcy filings, I’ve guided Milwaukee clients through exactly this situation. I also explore non-bankruptcy options when they’re the better fit.

Filing bankruptcy triggers an automatic stay, a federal court order that generally halts active collection efforts and repossession attempts immediately. If a lender has already taken your vehicle, acting before it’s sold at auction is critical. Recovery options narrow sharply once the sale is complete.

Don’t wait until your options run out. Call (888) 298-1041 or use the site’s contact form to schedule your free consultation with Sapinski Law Office, S.C. today.

How Chapter 13 Can Stop a Milwaukee Repossession

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is typically a strong tool for someone facing an imminent repossession or hoping to recover a recently seized vehicle. Filing activates the automatic stay, which generally bars a creditor from repossessing your property and requires them to work within the court-ordered repayment plan instead.

That repayment plan, which generally runs three to five years, can allow you to catch up on a past-due car loan over time rather than coming up with a lump sum immediately. In some cases, a vehicle that has already been repossessed can be recovered through a Chapter 13 filing, but only if the case is filed before the lender sells the vehicle at auction. Milwaukee-area cases are filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy & Your Vehicle

Chapter 7 takes a different approach. The automatic stay it triggers is temporary and won’t permanently prevent repossession if the loan remains unpaid after the case closes. That said, Chapter 7 still offers meaningful options worth understanding.

• Wisconsin motor vehicle exemption: You may be able to apply this exemption to protect the equity in your vehicle from liquidation, potentially allowing you to keep it.
• Redemption: In some cases, a Chapter 7 debtor can keep a vehicle by paying the lender its current fair market value in a single lump sum. Because vehicles depreciate, that amount can be significantly less than your remaining loan balance.
• Deficiency discharge: If your vehicle has already been repossessed and sold, the deficiency balance (the gap between the sale price and what you owed) can generally be discharged as unsecured debt in a Chapter 7 case.

Wisconsin Consumer Act Protections Before Bankruptcy

Even outside of bankruptcy, Wisconsin law provides meaningful guardrails for borrowers. The Wisconsin Consumer Act governs repossessions on loans of $25,000 or less, though that threshold is set to rise to $50,000 for transactions entered into on or after January 1, 2027. Loans above the applicable threshold fall under the Uniform Commercial Code, which generally requires no advance notice before a lender acts.

Your Rights Before & After Repossession

For covered loans, a lender must send a written right-to-cure notice at least 15 days before repossessing a vehicle, giving you a window to catch up on missed payments. After a repossession, you generally have 15 days to redeem the vehicle by paying past-due amounts and fees, or to reinstate the original contract. A repossession agent also may not breach the peace by using force, making threats, or continuing if you clearly object.

How a Deficiency Is Calculated

If your vehicle is eventually sold, any deficiency you owe is calculated as the unpaid balance minus the vehicle’s fair market value, and the sale must be conducted in a commercially reasonable manner. These rights matter whether or not bankruptcy ends up being the right path for you.

A Milwaukee Bankruptcy Practice Built Around Your Situation

My practice is concentrated on bankruptcy and debt relief. I’m personally involved in each case, so you’re working directly with me rather than being handed off. That focused approach means I know this area of law well and can move efficiently when a repossession situation demands it.

Clients also receive my credit restoration program at no additional charge. A repossession damages your credit, and addressing that damage is part of the picture. Affordable payment plans are available, and your initial consultation is free.