Sheriff Deputies Narrowly Avoid Getting 41 Squad Cars Repo'd By Enterprise Over Unpaid Lease Payments

Even the cops can't hide from the repo man. According to a press release, the Lorain County Sheriff's Office in Ohio was preparing for repossession of 41 police cruisers by "removing gear, equipment, and personal items" from the vehicles because of some unpaid bills. The Lorain County Deputies Association stated regarding the repossession:

It has come to our attention that the Lorain County Commissioners have defaulted on our vehicle fleet loan with Enterprise Fleet Management. The commissioners, the "good stewards" of taxpayers' money, failed to pay over $57,000 in lease payments to Enterprise as part of the contract. That means that 41 of our Police Cruisers are set to be repossessed on Monday.

Those are some strong words for the county commissioners, rightfully harsh though, if these claims are true. However, commissioners had some strong words of their own in return, denying that the repo would happen. From News 5 Cleveland: 

The Lorain County Board of Commissioners has been made aware of false information being shared by the Sheriff's Deputies Association. This manufactured crisis stated that the Commissioners defaulted on the county's vehicle fleet lease with Enterprise Fleet Management and that 41 police cruisers were set to be repossessed.

As soon as the Commissioners were made aware of this issue, our County Deputy Administrator, Karen Perkins, made a brief phone call to Enterprise Fleet Management to confirm the vehicles in question were not going to be repossessed, nor were they ever going to be.

So, false alarm? Maybe. 

County commissioners also insist that blame for the late payment lies not with them, but with the Sheriff's office.

The Lorain County Sheriff is an elected official and is responsible for the management and payments for their department. The Sheriff's Office is responsible for processing their own invoices, including Enterprise Fleet Management. The Sheriff's Office did not pay the full invoice of $13,583.81 by December 2025, which generated an automated notice of default to the Lorain County Sheriff's Department.

The Board of Commissioners approved the Sheriff's 2026 annual budget on December 19, 2025.

It's almost as though the two organizations are on different planets. Each entity blames the other for not paying their bills, and the amounts that each says the other was supposed to pay are quite different, so it's hard to say exactly who is mistaken here. What is clear is that Lorain County has some issues. The repossession drama comes during a time of budget cuts to services like emergency short-term shelters. From News 5:

"We've put all the agencies in a difficult position," Commissioner Marty Gallagher said last week. "Unfortunately, we had to make those tough decisions. We all have to hunker down. We have to budget our money better. Unfortunately, some of the services have to be cut."

Hopefully, the commissioners are correct, and the Sheriff's Office will not be losing the 41 cruisers to a repossession. It would cost a great deal more than the fleet contract to call deputies all Ubers to respond to calls, as the Deputies Association (sarcastically?) referenced in its statement. They say, "A Lannister always pays his debts," but it seems that there are no Lannisters in the Lorain County government.