Last Monday night we saw our team on the ‘Call the Bailiffs: Time to Pay Up’ Channel 5 tv show. In episode 4 there was exciting and gripping stories, and it shows the firm but fair approach the enforcement agents have to take. If you missed last weeks episode, it can be found on Channel 5’s catch up programmes (My5), below is a synopsis of what happened on last week’s show in episode 4.
The next ‘Call the Bailiffs, Time To Pay Up’ show is on next week on Monday 30th August 2021 at 9 pm where you will see our Absolute Enforcement, high court enforcement team enforcing on High Court Writs of Control, working hard to get the clients their money. If last week’s show was anything to go by then anything could happen in the next show.
Interested in how we got involved in doing a TV show? Click here to find out.
Front Line Debt Recovery
Episode begins with the team explaining the importance of their role acting for the claimant and show their professional and personal empathy for the debt whilst making sure they don’t lose focus of their aim – to recover the funds for the claimant.
Chris & Gavyn £4153 owed for a party wall inspection by a surveyor.
In this case the Claimant who are chartered surveyors issued a claim in respect of an unpaid invoice. They instructed Shergroup to collect the debt. The judgment was entered in the 23rd November 2020 in the County Court Money Claims Centre. Shergroup arranged to obtain the necessary certificate from the County Court for the debt to be transferred to the High Court for a Writ of Control to be issued. The Writ of Control was sealed on the 16th April 2021 for an amount of £3,564.60 including costs of execution with interest accruing at 8% from the date of transfer. Enforcement Agents acting under the delegated authority of Claire Sandbrook made an attendance and collected the amount in full. The Claimant is delighted with the outcome and the continued updates received from Shergroup’s dedicated Business Solutions Advisor. This particular case was received on the 23rd March 2021 and Paid in Full on the 4th May 2021 approximately 6 weeks to achieve payment in full.
Although there was no answer at the address, Gavyn found the debtors name, address and even a phone number on the Amazon parcel boxes outside of the premises and decided to share his wisdom “the boxes don’t lie”. However, there was no answer to the call.
Enquiries with a neighbour by High Court Enforcement Agent (Bailiff) Gavyn lead our agents to believe the suspected debtor may be walking his dogs and research by High Court Enforcement Agent (Bailiff) Chris finds possibly another man with the same name who could also be the potential debtor (proving our agents never stand still, even when sitting in their cars!) This man owns a catering company.
One last chance at the house door before they leave proves worthwhile as the suspected debtor answers and Chris has the chance to explain the situation. The defendant explains he wants to challenge the amount charged – proving he is the debtor.
Chris’ detective skills finds a video/audio of the man who owns the catering company and he and Gavyn can hear that this is the same person who answered the doorbell at the property. However, as the debt is disputed, Chris explains that there is a High Court Writ of Control so the debt still needs to be paid or the amount will increase if they have to revisit. Chris further explains that once the debt is paid, the payment can still be disputed, and the team leave as the defendant will not pay or come to the door.
Shortly after leaving, Chris’ wise words have been heeded as the debtor calls to make full payment, after checking with his solicitor.
Alex & KC £12,904 owed to a local council for an unpaid penalty
In this case the Claimant who are a Borough Council issued a claim in respect of unpaid penalty notice in respect of a property rented by the defendant without the correct licence. They instructed Shergroup to collect the debt. The judgment was entered on the 6th March 2020 in the Burnley County Court. Shergroup arranged to obtain the necessary certificate from the County Court for the debt to be transferred to the High Court for a Writ of Control to be issued. The Writ of Control was sealed on the 19th October 2020 for an amount of £10,709,68 including costs of execution with interest accruing at 8% from the date of transfer. Enforcement Agents acting under the delegated authority of Claire Sandbrook made an attendance and after lengthy discussion a payment plan was set up which is currently under review. The Enforcement Agent may be instructed to make a further attendance for the payment plan to be increased. The Claimant is receiving regular updates from Shergroup’s their dedicated Business Solutions Advisor.
Local authorities have to use Enforcement Agents to chase £500m in fines and money owed. Vital it is recovered to spend on local services.
Debtor has been difficult to track down, most recent trace address links him to a pub, after trying to locate him for months.
After telling High Court Enforcement Agent KC to check the flats, High Court Enforcement Agent Alex notes the licensee at the pub has the same surname as the debtor. Randomly a person appears who claims to be the debtor and is filming our team asking questions, but within minutes he has jumped back into his car and leaving the premises before KC & Alex could fully explain why they were there.
Door opens and landlady is on the phone to the agents. As the door is left open, our agents can legally enter the property – and do. Landlady says defendant rents a room upstairs. The landlady, however, is not happy that our agents are inside the premises, but Alex confirms that with a High Court Writ they have a right to be there.
KC speaks to the landlady on the phone who explains the defendant is her father but otherwise the landlady is un co-operative. She advises that she will be at the pub in 15 minutes.
A different man to the one the agents met outside the pub arrives and claims he is the debtor. He explains that he was fined for renting a property without the correct license but the rent was paid by the council who continued to pay the rent so he couldn’t evict the tenant, which increased the fine. A true catch 22. Alex asks about a solicitor, but defendant explains he doesn’t want to pay solicitor’s fees on top of what he already owes.
The debtor continues to argue his case with the agents and his daughter (the landlady) threatens to evict him!
Enforcement Agent KC explains that the agents have a duty of care and how they may be able to make a payment arrangement and the appeals process that the debtor can then commence. The defendant offers £20 a week. KC makes enquires and tries to help the debtor to workout a payment plan at a minimum of £100 a month – again, explaining the appeal process. The defendant offers to pay £200 now and enters into a payment arrangement. No goods were seized and there was no impact on the daughter’s business and the claimant will get their money (if any appeal fails).
KC closes this case summary by explaining that the first thing our agents see is a human, and that’s what she wants them to see in us – we are human too and we just have to make sure people who are owed that money recover that money.
Chris & Gavyn £2186 outstanding bill to a business providing property services.
In this case the Claimant who are chartered surveyors issued a claim in respect of an unpaid invoice. They instructed Shergroup to collect the debt. The judgment was entered in the 23rd November 2020 in the County Court Money Claims Centre. Shergroup arranged to obtain the necessary certificate from the County Court for the debt to be transferred to the High Court for a Writ of Control to be issued. The Writ of Control was sealed on the 16th April 2021 for an amount of £1,780.45 including costs of execution with interest accruing at 8% from the date of transfer. Enforcement Agents acting under the delegated authority of Claire Sandbrook made an attendance and collected the amount in full. Payment in full was achieved after the tow truck arrived to remove the vehicle which was owned by the debtor.
Since the attendance an application has been made by the debtor to set aside judgment. The hearing has been listed for January 2022.
On arrival the agents notice a BMW car on the premises. High Court Enforcement Agent Chris explains the situation to the debtor and verifies that the person he is speaking to, is the debtor and the BMW car does belong to him.
The defendant says the debt relates to a property occupied by his wife (who is currently in the process of becoming his ex-wife) and that he has no knowledge of the debt. His first knowledge of the debt was when he received a letter the week before.
Chris explains that he must still collect the debt and explains that he may have to remove the car. Chris explains that we need to enforce the judgment, but an appeal can still be made.
The debtor asks for more time, Chris offers him 10 minutes so he can make some phone calls to hopefully get more info and agree to pay.
The car value is checked while they wait. Enforcement Agent Chris tries to speak with the debtor at the end of the time allowed but he now refuses to engage, Chris tried to get the debtor to talk to him to prevent the debt increasing, but after many time trying to make contact the debtor still did not want to engage, leaving Chris with no option but to check that he can arrange for the vehicle to be removed.
Chris tries to talk to the debtor one last time, but defendant fails to engage so Chris needs to arrange for a tow truck. The agent then requests (through a closed door) £3752 to pay the new amount owed. The defendant refuses to pay the increased amount – even though this was fully explained earlier and the debtor failed to engage.
Chris predicts that the debtor may try and get into the car and comments to Gavyn about timing to lift the car before. The debtor opens the front door to say that he has called the Police and they are on the way.
High Court Enforcement Agent Chris explains that the lift will continue and asks for the keys just before his instincts are proven correct and the debtor tries to get into the vehicle. With the car literally in the air, Chris explains if the amount is paid in full, the agents won’t take the car.
Debtor finally agrees to pay, and Chris asks the tow truck to hold awaiting payment.
The defendant becomes distressed but Chris refuses to get drawn into an argument. The money is transferred in full and as promised, his car is returned safely to his drive.
A few weeks later the debtor asks for the original judgment to be set aside – we await the courts decision. If the debt is set aside, the payment taken may be returned.
Below is the link to the My5 Channel 5 catch up for episode 4, Call The Bailiffs – Time To Pay Up:
https://www.my5.tv/call-the-bailiffs-time-to-pay-up/season-1/episode-4
See us on the Channel 5 TV Show “Call The Bailiffs: Time To Pay Up” (Episode 4)
