If you haven’t made payments to a count court judgment (CCJ), your creditor can ask the court to use bailiffs to collect the debt.
You’ll receive a document called a ‘warrant of execution’. This means that a county court bailiff will visit you. A bailiff has the power to take goods from your property and sell them at auction to pay off your debt.
If a bailiff visits your home and you let them in or they enter through an unlocked door or window they have something called ‘walking possession’. Once a bailiff has walking possession they can use force to enter your house in future.
If a bailiff enters your home, they won’t take any goods on the first visit. They usually make a list of the items in your house which they could take in the future. Once they’ve made this list, it would be an offence for you to remove any of the items from your house.
County court bailiffs are paid a salary by the court so they are usually less aggressive than other types of private bailiff or high court enforcement officer, who visit for unpaid magistrates’ court fines, council tax arrears or high court enforcement. They have different powers and their charges are higher.
Help with bailiffs
If you’ve received a warrant of execution or a visit from a bailiff it’s important that you get expert debt advice. Call our free helpline on 0800 138 1111 and our expert advisors will give you all the information you need to get your situation back on track.
