DAYTON, OH – A woman in Ohio will be allowed to keep her 2018 Chevrolet Camaro after a bankruptcy judge conditionally denied a lender’s request to lift the automatic stay on the vehicle, despite the woman filing her fourth bankruptcy case in just over two years.
The decision was issued in Case No. 25-31383 by Judge Crist of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio on September 22, 2025. The woman, who filed the case without an attorney, previously filed Chapter 13 bankruptcies in March 2023, September 2023, and April 2025. All three prior cases were dismissed.
American Credit Acceptance had repossessed the Camaro the morning after the woman filed her latest bankruptcy on July 17, 2025. The court found the repossession violated the automatic stay and ordered the lender to return the vehicle—on the condition that the woman pays remaining court fees, provides proof of insurance, and makes her first two Chapter 13 plan payments by early October.
The woman testified that she needs the Camaro to get to work and that her income has recently increased following health issues. The court noted that, while concerned with her repeated filings and failure to retain counsel, she may have equity in the car and appears to be trying to reorganize her debts.
If she fails to meet the court’s deadlines, the lender will be permitted to proceed with repossession.
