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Tennessee lawmakers are considering a bill that would overhaul the repo industry in Tennessee.
The bill was prompted by a NewsChannel 5 investigation that showed growing violence in the repo industry.
Today members of the House Commerce Sub-committee heard tearful testimony from the sister of a man killed when repo men tried to take his truck.
"My brother was guilty of being behind on a bill, and he lost life for it," Debbie Martin said.
Michael Brown 48, died in Overton County last year when he drove away from repo men trying to reposes his 13 year old pick-up.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol says the repo drivers deliberately pulled their tow truck in front of him.
"They pulled into his lane when he was going down the road to block him and my brother is dead because of it," Martin said.
Martin claims the repo drivers didn't know what they were doing.
She urged the committee to support a bill that would force repo drivers to get licensed.
They would have to take a training course and get a criminal background check.
Repo veteran Ray Crocker supports the bill.
He spoke before the committee and said his industry is misunderstood.
He blames so called reality TV shows, full of fighting and violence, for bringing fly by night companies into the repo business.
"Of the professionals in the industry there's probably 600 nationwide that know the laws," Crocker said.
Our NewsChannel 5 Investigation found Metro police responded to hundreds of calls involving repo drivers last year.
Some involved repo men with guns. We found at least seven cases in which people claimed repo men were chasing them.
"I hope and pray nobody else has to go through this pain because of something like this," Martin told the committee.
The bill (House Bill 2276) was attached to another bill that would regulate the repo industry and is scheduled to be voted on next week by the full Commerce Committee.
If it becomes law Tennessee would be only the fifth state in the country to license repo drivers.
Tennessee lawmakers are considering a bill that would overhaul the repo industry in Tennessee.
The bill was prompted by a NewsChannel 5 investigation that showed growing violence in the repo industry.
Today members of the House Commerce Sub-committee heard tearful testimony from the sister of a man killed when repo men tried to take his truck.
"My brother was guilty of being behind on a bill, and he lost life for it," Debbie Martin said.
Michael Brown 48, died in Overton County last year when he drove away from repo men trying to reposes his 13 year old pick-up.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol says the repo drivers deliberately pulled their tow truck in front of him.
"They pulled into his lane when he was going down the road to block him and my brother is dead because of it," Martin said.
Martin claims the repo drivers didn't know what they were doing.
She urged the committee to support a bill that would force repo drivers to get licensed.
They would have to take a training course and get a criminal background check.
Repo veteran Ray Crocker supports the bill.
He spoke before the committee and said his industry is misunderstood.
He blames so called reality TV shows, full of fighting and violence, for bringing fly by night companies into the repo business.
"Of the professionals in the industry there's probably 600 nationwide that know the laws," Crocker said.
Our NewsChannel 5 Investigation found Metro police responded to hundreds of calls involving repo drivers last year.
Some involved repo men with guns. We found at least seven cases in which people claimed repo men were chasing them.
"I hope and pray nobody else has to go through this pain because of something like this," Martin told the committee.
The bill (House Bill 2276) was attached to another bill that would regulate the repo industry and is scheduled to be voted on next week by the full Commerce Committee.
If it becomes law Tennessee would be only the fifth state in the country to license repo drivers.
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