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High Court Enforcement in Plymouth

Quality Bailiffs and our High Court Enforcement Officer operate in Plymouth and throughout the South West area of Cornwall and Devon to cover areas including, Exeter, Torquay, Paignton, Newton Abbot, St Austell, Newquay, Turo, Weymouth, Taunton, and Bridgwater.

Count Court Judgment collection in Plymouth

If you have been to court and gained a County Court Judgment you will soon realise that this is often only the first part of the process of getting your money back. The judgment has to be enforced and the money collected.

High Court Enforcement is often the most effective option for collecting the money you are owed. High Court Enforcement Officers have greater powers than County Court Bailiffs to collect the monies owed by the debtor. They operate fast, out of hours, including weekends.

Quality Bailiffs High Court Enforcement division Frank G Whitworth’s team feature on the BBC1’s fly on the wall documentary “The Sheriffs are Coming” following the work of our bailiffs. They have been providing High Court Enforcement since 1948. Our High Court Enforcement Officers are approved by the Ministry of Justice and are full members of the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA).

Quality Bailiffs Service

We offer 3 service levels.

• Bronze Service. The standard service. For customers only requiring basic email support during the transfer up and enforcement process, Updates are provided when things happen, such as agent visits.
• Silver Service. The supported service. For customers wanting telephone support and assistance during the transfer up and enforcement process. Silver service also offers additional benefits.
• Gold Service. The supported priority service. All the benefits of the silver service along with visits to the address on the writ being prioritised.

Standard Bronze Service

The most popular service. For customers only requiring basic email support during the transfer up and enforcement process. Updates are provided when things happen, such as agent visits.

Our standard service is suitable for:

• Individuals and businesses conducting their own litigation and legal matters and requiring NO Support including requesting updates, asking questions other than us sending an update by email only if a significant event occurs.
• Individuals and businesses with experience dealing with debt recovery.
• Legal professionals.

Fee to instruct = £241.75

This is the administration fee of £108 (£90+vat), and the court transfer and execution fee £133.75. On successful collection the court transfer and execution fee is recovered from the debtor and returned to you.

Please note if we are unable to successfully recover your debt then an abortive fee is due to us by law of £94.80 (£79 plus vat).

The service

The Bronze service provides:

• Help with the transfer up of the CCJ to the High Court by helping to complete the forms and posting the paperwork to the court.
• Up to 3 free visits to one address to contact the debtor to collect payment or take control of goods.
• We aim to have the first visit completed within 40 days of the notice of enforcement expiring. If we are unable to collect after three visits any further visits are chargeable and are not recoverable from the defendants.
• Communication by email only of all significant actions.

Significant actions: These are the times you will receive an update.

• On receipt of instruction and payment we email confirmation of receipt and your case reference number. We aim to respond within 2 hours on an office business day.
• The case is passed to a qualified enforcement professional who will thoroughly check the case file to check for any obvious errors that may prevent or impede enforcement activities. We will run an insolvency check, complete a check of our database for prior writs we hold and check over your judgment for obvious issues. We aim to complete this procedure within 3 working days of your instruction being loaded. If we find any major issues we will contact you giving you the opportunity to ask us not to request the writ and therefore save yourself the £133.75 court transfer and execution fee. If you decide to cancel only the court transfer and execution fee can be refunded as the administration fee of £108 will still have been incurred as this is due upon instruction.
• We will have the N293A and other paperwork completed.
• For individual clients we will insert an electronic signature to complete and email the form to you to check and return. Or we will where possible get a third party solicitor to complete, sign and post this to the court.
• For limited company clients we will email the form to you to check, sign and return, or we will where possible get a third party solicitor to complete, sign and post this to the court.
• The signed N293A is sent to the court.
• When returned we will issue a Notice of Enforcement which gives the debtor approximately 14 days to pay (including postage time). We email confirmation of this.
• If the debt is not paid the Writ of Control is passed to one of our local Certificated Enforcement Agents.
• The Certificated Enforcement Agent is part of an experienced national team able to enforce by taking control of the goods of the debtor.
• The team will aim to recover your debt, interest on the debt, and all court costs and the statutory enforcement fees which are added to the debt when enforcement is successful. The admin fee and the Silver and Gold service fee is not recoverable from the debtor.
• You will be kept informed by our system as actions are taken.
• The first visit to the debtor will be within 40 days of this expiring.
• After each visit we email a basic report giving the outcome of the visit and what the next process is.
• After any communication from the court or important developments with the case we email an update.

Silver Service

The supported service. For customers wanting telephone support and assistance during the transfer up and enforcement process. Silver service also offers additional benefits.

Our Silver service is suitable for:

• Individuals and businesses that prefer telephone support with a named client liaison manager. If they are not available, they will aim to call back within 1 working day.
• Individuals and businesses that require telephone support and help during the transfer up and enforcement process.
• Individuals and businesses that have a difficult or complex case.

Fee to instruct = £439.75

This is the silver service fee of £198 (£165+vat), the administration fee of £108 (£90+vat), and the court transfer and execution fee £133.75. On successful collection the court transfer and execution fee is recovered from the debtor and returned to you.

Please note if we are unable to successfully recover your debt then an abortive fee is due to us by law of £94.80 (£79 plus vat).

The service

The Silver service includes all the benefits of bronze service and additional benefits:

• Updates by telephone with client liaison. (Set up so we can give you information over the telephone securely). If they are not available, they will aim to call back within 1 working day.
• A named client liaison manager.
• Up to 2 free traces.
• Up to 2 free DVLA checks.
• Up to 2 free HPI checks.
• Up to three visits across 2 different addresses.
• 20% discount on our fees for any court applications that you may want us to make (such as a break-in order, known as “A Warrant of Reasonable Force”), and additional traces.

Gold Service

The supported priority service. All the benefits of the silver service along with visits to the address on the writ being prioritised.

Our Gold service is suitable for:

• Individuals and businesses that prefer telephone support with a named client liaison manager. If they are not available, they will aim to call back within 1 working day.
• Individuals and businesses that require telephone support and help during the transfer up and enforcement process.
• Individuals and businesses that have a difficult or complex case.
• Individuals and businesses that require their cases visited as soon as possible quicker than our standard times.

Fee to instruct = £739.75

This is the gold service fee of £498 (£415+vat), the administration fee of £108 (£90+vat), and court transfer and execution fee £133.75. On successful collection the court transfer and execution fee is recovered from the debtor and returned to you.

Please note if we are unable to successfully recover your debt then an abortive fee is due to us by law of £94.80 (£79 plus vat).

The service

The Gold service includes additional benefits:

• All the benefits of the extra support of the silver service.
• We aim to have the first visit to the address on the writ done within 7 working days where ever possible and legal to do so.
• We aim whenever possible to have the next two visits (where required) and legal to do so completed within 6 weeks of the first visit.
• The Gold service is not always available in all areas so please speak with one of the sales team to confirm that we can cover this service in the area the debtor is located.

Take the first step

Take the first step to recovering the money you are owed.

Contact our Plymouth enforcement team for a FREE CCJ review.

Telephone: 01174 220 586

Outside business hours complete the form below and we will contact you the next business day.

How much does High Court Enforcement cost the defendant?

Enforcement fees are set in law and covered in The Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 Table 2.

* Percentage fee (regulation 7): percentage of sum to be recovered exceeding £1,000

Generally, the Certificated Enforcement Agent (Bailiff) only get their fees if they are able to collect your money for you. At that stage they can charge the scale of fees as per Taking Control of Fees Regulations 2014.

The fees are added to the Judgment value and are paid by the defendant. On successful collection the compliance stage fee and court fee paid by the claimant when instructing us is returned to the claimant.

For further information about High Court Enforcement of County Court Judgments visit our main page.

Case Study

At Quality Bailiffs we enforce a variety of writs against individuals, business, and other corporations. This could be anything from unpaid invoices, unpaid wages, refund after being sold unsuitable motor car, damages from poor workmanship, or court awarded compensation.

Here is a recent case in Plymouth:

Plymouth Bailiffs and High Court Enforcement Officer collect money from Caravan dealer.

After been instructed to help transfer up a county court judgment to the High Court for enforcement we obtained a writ of control for the sum of £9,500.

This was on behalf of a lady claimant from Paignton against a caravan sales dealer in Plymouth. The judgment was regarding the sale of an unfit touring caravan. The caravan had numerous defects including a defective frame. When they refused a full refund, the lady used money claims online to get a judgment in order to force the issue. This had no effect and she received nothing after judgment was obtained so she turned to Quality Bailiffs. Once the writ was issued Quality Bailiffs immediately started the process of recovering the money owed.

After receiving the Notice of Enforcement, the company rang into Quality Bailiffs Bristol office. The man that called claimed they had no goods on site as only acted as agents. He said all the caravans were sold on behalf of other people. He then went on to advise they would not pay and claimed there was nothing our Bailiff could do as they had no assets.

Quality Bailiffs sent our Plymouth Bailiff who works out of our Bristol office to this business address. Our Bailiff attended the address. The company got out lots of documentation and they were able to prove that they were an agent that sold caravans. They were also able to prove that these caravans were still owned by people.

Our Bailiff left a letter giving him 48hrs to pay the money whilst further enquiries were made, and advice was obtained from our High Court Enforcement Officer. The Bailiff noticed that a Nissan Navara parked on the road outside fitted with a tow bar and made a note of the number plate.

The office carried out a DVLA check on the vehicle and it came back registered in the debtor company name and was clear of finance. When we returned to the address, we saw the vehicle parked around the corner on the public highway and the Bailiff clamped it before attending the site.

Again, the debtor refused to pay saying he had no assets to seize.

After 15 minutes of arguing the Bailiff showed him photograph of his clamped vehicle, and explained if he did not pay, he would remove the vehicle and he would incur further costs.

The male disappeared into the office and within 25 minutes the Bailiff received a call from our office telling him that the debtor had paid the fine in full.

A successful High Court Enforcement had been achieved. The Plymouth Bailiff had used all his skills to pressure a payment from a company that refused to pay even after the court had ordered it.

What is the difference between a bailiff and a High Court Enforcement Officer?

Think about this like a Chief Constable and a Police Constable. A High Court Enforcement Officer, formally a Sheriff, is very experienced and well qualified. There are only around 45 in the whole of the country. The High Court Enforcement Officer (HCEO) is an officer of the court and acts as an independent agent between the debtor and the creditor and authorises Certificated Enforcement Agents (Bailiffs) to carry out the work of taking control of goods. If a bailiff does not have a HCEO authorise them then they can not enforce writs of control.

Quality Bailiffs currently have three officers authorising their bailiffs at the time of writing this. Most other companies share one officer between them.

What Hours do the High Court Enforcement Officer’s Bailiffs work in Plymouth?

Between 06:00 and 21:00 any day of the week or any hours a business trades.

How many visits do High Court Enforcement Officers make in Plymouth?

Normally they make up to 3 visits at varying times including out of hours to make contact with the defendant at one address. if they are insolvent, have no goods or have gone away they will not keep going back.

If they feel there is reasonable chance of recovery, they will visit the address more than three times. However, there will come a time when they feel it is not economically viable to continue. Visits to multiple addresses will occur an extra fee of £75 plus vat per address.

What is the Collection / Success Rates for High Court Enforcement Officers?

HCEOs have a good collection rate as the team are incentivised to collect. In 2019 HCEO’s successfully enforced 110,353 writs. 31,770 were paid in full and £115,952,185 was recovered. For full details see HCEOA statistics.

What Powers does a High Court Enforcement Officer have in Plymouth?

Once they have a Writ of control, they can enter any relevant property to search for and seize goods. They can visit any third-party premises subject to them first obtaining a warrant of specified premises. They must enter peaceably by normal means at a residential property unless they first apply for a warrant of reasonable force. If the premises are commercial, they can break into a commercial property.

How much must be owed to be able to use a High Court Enforcement Officer?

From £600 to unlimited. If the debt is above £5,000 then it can only be enforced by a High Court Enforcement Officer.