Chapter 15: Enforcement agents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. When enforcement agents are used
• Civil court judgments and orders
• High Court judgments
• County court judgments
• Road traffic penalties
• Commercial rent arrears
• Other debts
• Local taxes
• Debts to HMRC
• Magistrates’ court orders
• Child support maintenance
• 3. How enforcement agents are instructed
• High Court writ of control
• County court warrant of control
• Road traffic penalties
• Commercial rent arrears
• Income tax
• VAT
• Local taxes
• Magistrates’ court order
• 4. Enforcement agents' powers
• Courts and the enforcement process
• The enforcement notice
• Binding the client's goods
• Entering premises and identifying vulnerability
• Time
• Place
• Method of entry
• Identification
• Taking control of goods
• Time and place
• Ways of taking control of goods
• Which goods can be taken
• Inventories
• Selling goods
• Removing goods for sale
• The sale
• Final accounts
• Fees and expenses
• Fees
• Expenses
• Costs of selling the goods
• Exceptional costs
• Multiple warrants
• Vulnerable clients
• If a client disputes the fees
• Fee review
• 5. Complaints about enforcement agents
• Taking court action
• Complaining to the enforcement agency
• Complaining to creditors
• Complaining to a professional organisation
• Complaining to the ombudsman
• Court proceedings
• Regulation and complaints
• 6. Emergency action
• Refuse the enforcement officer access
• Get the warrant withdrawn from the enforcement agent
• Raise a lump sum to clear the debt