A Tangelo Park woman wasn't happy to see the repo man. In fact, she refused to hand over her keys.

"I'm not going to give them the keys," she said. "Why the (expletive) would I give them the keys?"

But the dealershipe where she bought the vehicle wanted its money. So Daniel DePace towed away the car. DePace's business is booming.

"My phone is ringing off the hook most of the time," said DePace.

A BMW, a Lexus, a Hummer and an Infiinti were all recently repossessed from Central Florida drivers.

"People are definitely living above their means," said DePace.

So many vehicles are being snatched from owners who stop making payments, some repo lots are overflowing. DePace says he often picks up pricey cars in affluent neighborhoods. He recently repossessed a Bentley.

"They tell me the check is in the mail," he said. "They just lost their job, or they just got out of the hospital."

But experts blame overly generous car loans and a faltering economy.

"Most people were living up to, or over their budgets," said Thomas Webb of Manheim Auto Auctions.

Webb is an economist for Manheim which runs one of the world largest auto auctions. It is owned by the parent company of WFTV.

"A little increase in gas prices, food prices… that was enough to push them over," said Webb.

Buy Repo Direct on East Colonial Drive liquidates cars for banks. Buyers have 30 days to buy them at wholesale prices before they're sent to the auto auction.

The blue book value on a 2004 Honda is more than $13,000. It is for sale for $8,000. A 2006 Hummer's blue book value is $28,000. The asking price is $22,000. Salesmen say with the cost of gas climbing, SUVs are being repossessed almost daily.

Most banks and dealerships usually wait until a driver has missed two payments. If someone misses the due date for the third, the car gets repossessed.

If you're worried your car is going to be repossessed, consumer advocates say you should talk to the creditor and ask if you can have your loan reconfigured. Consumer advocates also say you should consider selling the car, especially if that means you can cover the loan amount.

WEB SITE: Repossession Advice From The Florida Attorney General's Office