GUEST EDITORIAL
This is a story for those thinking about getting into the repo business as well as for those who are in the business now. There is a man who rises above the normal level of professional stature and competence. A man who has raised the bar to a level we all should work hard to reach. A man I call my friend.
Recently, I had the pleasure of having breakfast with my old friend Rusty Ansel, president/CEO of American Finance Adjusters. (For those of you strictly in the towing business, I consider this an equivalent to having breakfast with Ernest Holmes.)
Since the early 1970s, Rusty has been one of the legends of the repossession industry. As we sat there in a diner in Ocala, Florida, enjoying our salted southern ham and scrambled eggs, we reminisced about the old days and shared assignments, as well as the times when we were tough competitors working to land the same clients.
We discussed when there were no rules for repossessors to follow. No rules, that is, until Rusty, Joe Taylor and a few of their friends decided to do something about the “wild west” repo style in our country. The plan was to have the State of Florida regulate the repossession industry by requiring all those who are in the business become licensed. (I may have left out a few players, but if you go by the license numbers issued in Florida, Rusty’s is one of the first few repossession agency numbers issued.)
What happened after was nothing short of amazing as state after state began to legislate and regulate repossession procedures to protect consumers from unlawful and deceptive practices. Without the efforts and professional influence of Rusty Ansel’s presence in the repossession industry, I shudder to think how this industry would have evolved.
In those early years, Rusty was building his repossession empire with offices in Ocala, Hialeah, and Tampa. For a long time, American Finance Adjusters was the largest repossession agency in the country. Rusty created a business model designed to provide the most professional service to the client while also protecting the consumer.
America’s automobile lenders certainly took notice of AFA’s high standards. It didn’t take long before Rusty was receiving the lion’s share of repossession assignments in Florida. Others in the business had a choice to either rise to AFA’s level of service or get out of the way. As it turns out, most other Florida repossessors followed Rusty’s lead. Before long, every national lender became aware that in Florida, repossessions were done with respect to all rules protecting the consumer.
The success of Rusty’s repossession empire did not happen without a few glitches. As the office locations grew, managers needed constant reminders about the expected quality of service by the client. On a few occasions, management changes resulted due to overzealous employees. Rusty knew though that these were struggles that every growing company deals with as the years go by.
After taking a few years off and relying on his managers to run his offices, Rusty is back at the helm of the company he began years ago. Like the old Gene Ammons album, “The Boss Is Back!”
Alex Price, a friend of mine and the nation’s leading skip-trace expert and instructor (aka The Skip Guru), has known Rusty as long or longer than me. In an email exchange about Rusty’s influence on the repo industry, Price said:
“It has been a little over 30 years since I met Rusty Ansel. Asking what Rusty means to the recovery industry is much like asking what Bill Gates or Steve Jobs means to the computer industry. There are a million stories out there about him, but this is mine.”
“It all started when I was asked to speak at the second FALRA event (for those of you too young to know or remember, FALRA was the Florida Association of Licensed Recovery Agents). This group of men and women helped shape the regulations that we follow today, and it was Rusty Ansel and Joe Taylor who sat side-by side with the state of Florida and helped write Chapter 493, which is the state law that governs the recovery industry.”
“I had just finished speaking and was sitting alone for a moment at a table when a mountain of a man stepped up and introduced himself to me. ‘Excuse me, my name is Rusty Ansel. Do you have a quick moment to speak?”
“I thought this would be someone else who would say what an incredible speech I just gave and offer me a business card. … At that time I was over skip charge-offs and agents for World Omni in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Much to my surprise, this gentleman asked me to grab a pen and paper, so he could educate me on everything I was wrong about!”
“Little did I know then, I had just sat next to one of the Four Horseman of this industry. I have now had the honor and pleasure of sitting under the learning tree of Rusty all these years later. You see, it was he and the other three members of the horsemen that put me in business and guided me down the path of success and picked me up years later when things crashed.”
“There are many who would not be in business today if it were not for the guidance of this gentleman. To the people that work in the state of Florida, next time you see Rusty or Joe Taylor, you can thank them for your access to DMV records. At that time, the Highway Act had just been passed on the federal level which made it mandatory for each state to restrict access to DMV records to law enforcement only; it was Rusty, Joe and one other who dipped into their own pockets and [financed] a lobbyist to have the industry grandfathered in [to] keep access to this precious information.”
“Welcome back, Rusty!”
The repossession business today is an industry seemingly filled with rogue thugs who believe it takes muscle and force to repossess. The idea of repo-by-force couldn’t be further from the truth. I would rather hire a marriage counselor than an ex-bodyguard as a repossessor. If you’re thinking about getting into the repo business with a tough-guy attitude, do yourself and us professionals a favor, and go get a job somewhere else instead as a bouncer.
After a couple years of fishing and traveling the world, Rusty Ansel is back running his repossession offices in Florida. I look forward to how his return to running AFA will benefit repossessors, clients and, most importantly, the consumers.
Thank you, Rusty, for your leadership and inspiration to create a more professional repossession industry.
Mark Lacek
Repo Editor ,authored the Certified Commercial Recovery Agent certification program and has more than 30 years of recovery experience. He is the former editor of “Professional Repossessor” magazine. Email him at Mark@commercialassetsolutions.com.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-lacek-222905b
“Protecting the American Consumer With Professional Service”
Commercial Asset Solutions
Ph. 407-948-7087Fx. 352-404-8691
https://www.CommercialAssetSolutions.com
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