While repossession does not involve a formal process in court, replevin consists of getting the court to order the consumer to return the vehicle to the lender. If a car loan lender can't repossess a vehicle, it will probably get possession of the car through a process called "replevin."If you default on your car loan payments, the lender can take your car back through repossession or replevin. Learn the difference. A towing service can be sued for unlawful repossession in violation of both the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the state's "selfhelp" statute. Filing a replevin or detinue requires four steps: 1. This guide includes information about filling out forms for small claims court.