EL PASO, Texas -- Erika Smalley found herself in financial bind and thought a title loan was the answer.

"It was fast money," said Smalley.

But the fast cash put her on the fast path to big problems. Smalley told KFOX she took out a loan at Ace Cash Express on Montana Avenue in east El Paso.

"They pointed out that it was 20-30 percent interest after the 30 days," she told KFOX.

She said she signed off signed on the title loan for her 2001 Ford Escape truck, with no worries. She thought she would pay it off on time, but when 30 days rolled around she came up short.

"Like I didn't have enough money to pay them back," she told KFOX.

So the company took action.

"They went to my work and they picked up the truck and it was really embarrassing,” she told KFOX.

She said her $800 title loan from Ace Cash Express, turned into $1,430. She said it got to that amount in part because she said she had to pay more than $400 to the repossession company, American Lenders Service, to get her car back.

KFOX went to Ace Cash Express to try to verify if the company disclosed all of the charges and penalties in the contract. A manager at the store said she could not discuss the case but instead, referred KFOX reporter to a company official in Dallas. At the time of this story, the Ace Cash Express official did not return the phone call.

KFOX also went to the company she said repossessed her car, American Lenders Service. The doors were locked and a “closed sign” was on the door when the KFOX crew arrived Friday at around 3:15 p.m. An employee came to the door and advised the crew to go to the corporate Web site to contact an official.

American Lenders Service general counsel Machelle Morris, told KFOX that the company has franchise operations. She said because of federal law, she could not discuss the financial specifics regarding the case, but she verified that Smalley was charged the amount as authorized by the contract between American Lenders Service and Ace Cash Express.

Smalley could not provide KFOX with a copy of the actual contract, but she showed a photojournalist a receipt showing she paid American Lenders Service more than $400.