Attorney Murphy recently spoke at the 13th Annual Advanced Consumer and Commercial Law Course in Austin, Texas on the topic of “Top Five Things a Consumer Lawyer Should Know About Article 9.” The presentation reviewed recent technological developments in automobile recovery by lenders and the corresponding increase in violence and abuse by recovery agents. According to industry sources, the use of forwarders – companies that lenders hire to locate third-party recovery agents- has greatly increased the danger to the public as the agents are compelled to work largely on a contingency as opposed to a flat fee. With reduced profit margins, the recovery agents will often take greater risks and potentially break laws to recover vehicles. The marked increase in reports of breach of the peace by repossession agencies has drawn the attention of both state and federal authorities as well as consumer advocates.