Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014

The Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 introduce a simplified scale of fees that can be charged by bailiffs/enforcement agents when enforcing debts. With the exception of ‘writs of control’ enforced via the High Court, the following fees apply to all debts.

Compliance Fee: £75

Upon receipt of the  instruction from the creditor (the local authority/magistrates court etc), the Bailiff/Enforcement company  must send a Notice of Enforcement . You must be given a  minimum of seven clear days to pay before a visit can be made.  A payment proposal can be made during the strict time frame outlined in the Notice of Enforcement. This is referred to as the ‘Compliance Stage’. A Compliance Stage fee of £75 is added to the debt.

Enforcement Fee: £235 (plus 7.5% of the value of the debt over £1,500)

If you fail to pay during the ”Compliance stage’ or you default on a payment arrangement, the enforcement company will pass your account to an individual enforcement agent. The agent will visit your property for the purpose of ‘taking control’ of your goods. At the time of the visit, an enforcement fee of £235 will be added to the debt. It is important to note that if the enforcement agent is enforcing more than one debt, he should only charge one ‘enforcement stage’ fee. He should’t apply ‘multiple’ charges.

Sale Fee: £110.00 (plus 7.5% of the value of the debt that exceeds £1,500.00).

This fee becomes chargeable  when a bailiff/enforcement agent attends the premises to remove goods and make preparations for the sale of goods. It is important to note that additional charges may be applied relating to the removal. These include storage charges  and locksmith’s fees.

Enforcement Fee of £235 and ‘vulnerable debtors’

Regulations 11 and 12 of the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 are most important and have been put in place to protect debtors. Regulation 11 provides that wherever practical bailiffs should not charge multiple fees for enforcing more than one debt (liability order, parking charge notice, court fine etc).

Given the importance of this subject we have introduced a new page about bailiff enforcement and vulnerability.

The Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 can be read here.

Commentary from Bailiff Advice

The above is a simple overview of the new fee scale and further in-depth information regarding how the fees apply to each debt type  (including court fines and judgments enforced via the High Court)  can be found in the Bailiff Fees section of our website.