If a person fails to pay for a long enough period and doesn't own over a certain percentage of the vehicle (say doesn't default on a last payment or something;

If a person fails to pay for a long enough period and doesn't own over a certain percentage of the vehicle (say doesn't default on a last payment or something; depending on where you live, in ontario I believe it's under 3/4) the object legally becomes property of the person it's defaulted to and is considered temporary property of the towing/repo company. Repo companies have legal access to your property to remove it so long as they don't violate any law during the process. Trespassing doesn't count, because a gas man coming to check your meter isn't trespassing, if he breaks down your door then he's breaking and entering. Similarly a tow company only violates the law if they cut a lock or something illegal.