Inmate sues credit union over repossession of truck

GALVESTON - Claiming Amoco Federal Credit Union wrongfully repossessed his vehicle, an inmate in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice System has filed a lawsuit.

Willie Koehler is suing the financial institution and Reba Hankins, its collection manager, for improperly terminating a contract both parties entered in 2006 and subsequently seizing his 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck.

Court papers were filed July 18 in Galveston County District Court.

Koehler is currently serving a life sentence in TDCJ's Ellis Unit in Huntsville.

According to the original petition, he and the credit union entered a credit and security agreement on June 12, 2006.

The plaintiff borrowed $19,000 from the respondent a year later to purchase the subject vehicle, which was valued at $26,342.65.

He consented to make monthly payments of $355.03 to Amoco on the truck and put said truck up as security for the loan, the suit says.

Koehler explains that he has a subaccount in which the defendant would automatically transfer the $355.03 from his personal account to the subaccount as the monthly payments on the truck.

He insists that he fully performed his contractual obligations.

Koehler then committed an unspecified crime and was convicted and sentenced by a Brazoria County court to life in prison.

The suit states Amoco repossessed the truck around that time despite the complainant attempting to further make arrangements for the vehicle, claiming the credit union preventing the plaintiff from making his required monthly payments.

Consequently, he seeks approximately $40,000 in damages.

Koehler is representing himself, and Galveston County 212th District Court Judge Susan Criss is presiding over the case.

Case No. 11-cv-1172