When They Take the Car Back
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 36a-785 — fifteen days to redeem after a repossession, and a sale not sooner
After a default, a secured lender may take the collateral by court process, or without it, only if it can do so without breach of the peace.
Who handles this in Connecticut: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Connecticut directory.
- On a retail installment contract, the holder may serve a notice of intention to retake not less than ten days before, stating the default, how to cure it and by when.
- A holder who gave no such notice keeps the goods in the state for fifteen days, during which the buyer may get them back by paying the amount then due, without acceleration, and interest, or curing the default.
- Goods not redeemed within fifteen days are sold, publicly or privately, not less than fifteen and not more than one hundred eighty days after the retaking.
Sources for this section (2)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42a-9-609 — Secured party's right to take possession after default. Use of electronic self-help restricted
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 36a-785 — (Formerly Sec. 42-98). Foreclosure
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Connecticut attorney.