Field visits and repossessions are often confused, but they are fundamentally different services with very different legal frameworks, outcomes, and use cases. Understanding which you need -- and when -- is essential for an effective and compliant collections strategy.
A field visit is a personal, face-to-face contact with a customer at their home or business address. The purpose is typically to: verify that the customer is resident at the address; make first contact to re-establish dialogue; deliver a formal notice or communication; assess the customer's circumstances and identify any vulnerability; and gather intelligence on the customer's financial position and the location of any assets. A field visit does not involve any recovery or seizure of assets. It is a compliance and re-engagement activity.
A repossession is the physical recovery of a financed asset -- most commonly a vehicle, but also equipment, machinery, or other goods -- from a customer who has defaulted on their finance agreement. It requires specific legal pre-conditions to have been satisfied (see our guide to vehicle repossession), and it results in the asset being removed from the customer's possession and returned to the lender or their agent.
Field Visit: No asset recovery. Communication and re-engagement focus. Lower legal threshold. Can be instructed early in the arrears journey. Outcome: customer contact re-established, intelligence gathered, or notice delivered. Repossession: Asset physically recovered. Strict legal pre-conditions required. Higher risk if conducted incorrectly. Typically instructed after default notice has expired. Outcome: asset secured and returned to lender.
Early in the arrears journey -- 30-60 days in arrears -- a field visit is almost always the right approach. It makes contact, identifies whether the customer is vulnerable, and provides intelligence before further action is taken. Once a Default Notice has been served and the cure period has elapsed without response, and where there is a financed asset to recover, repossession becomes appropriate. At Towerhall Solutions, we offer both services as part of an integrated collections strategy, and our case handlers will recommend the right approach based on your specific situation.
In complex cases -- where the customer's whereabouts are unknown, where there is a suspected vulnerability, or where the asset location needs to be confirmed before a repossession attempt -- we often recommend a field visit first, followed by a repossession if appropriate. This two-stage approach reduces the risk of a failed repossession attempt and ensures Consumer Duty compliance throughout.
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