Merseyflow and Bailiffs

Our very popular main page about Merseyflow is here. This particular new page is about Merseyflow and bailiffs enforcement. In December 2018, enforcement proceedings commenced to recover unpaid Merseyflow tolls. The enforcement  company contracted to enforce these debts is Marston Recovery.

I paid the Mersey Gateway toll fee late and have received a Merseyflow Penalty Charge Notice.

Payment for using the Mersey Gateway Bridge is due by midnight the day after using the crossing. If you make a late payment, it will not be credited towards your toll fee.  Instead; it will remain as a credit on the Merseyflow system and will be used to pay a future Mersey Gateway toll in the same vehicle.

How much will I have to pay if a bailiff is instructed?

Legislation provides for Marston Recovery to send you a Notice of Enforcement. At this stage, the amount due will increase to £145 to include the statutory ‘compliance fee’ of £75. If you had used the Mersey Gateway Bridge to make a return journey, you should receive two separate Notice of Enforcements. A compliance fee of £75 with be added to each notice.

I didn’t know about the unpaid Merseyflow penalty charge until a bailiff contacted me.

If you have received a telephone call, a text message, a letter, or a visit from Marston Recovery  in relation to a Merseyflow penalty  that you hadn’t known about, (usually because all notices had been sent to a previous address), then all bailiff enforcement will be suspended by submitting an Out of Time Witness Statement (TE7 and TE9) and sending it to the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC).

We have an entire page dedicated to Out of Time Witness Statements here.

A bailiff has visited my property to enforce a Merseyflow Penalty Charge Notice

If full payment is not made to Marston Recovery  during the compliance stage, or a payment arrangement defaults, your account will be passed to a bailiff/enforcement agent for a personal visit to be made to your property. At the time of the visit, the amount due will increase to £380 to include the statutory enforcement fee of £235. To avoid your vehicle or goods being taken into control, full payment would need to be made.

If your vehicle is outside of your property, it is likely to be clamped or worse still; removed.  A removal fee of £110 plus additional storage costs will also become payable.

Can I make payment to Merseyflow if a bailiff is instructed?

Once a warrant is issued, payment should be made to Marston Recovery. This is because; legislation provides that the Compliance fee of £75 should be deducted first from any payment made. The reason is outlined by the Ministry of Justice under Item 8.3 of the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations Explanatory Memorandum.

Commentary from Bailiff Advice Online

If you have  query about a Merseyflow Penalty Charge Notice and in particular; if all correspondence from Merseyflow had been sent to your previous address, you can email a question to us in confidence using our online Enquiry Form. Alternatively, you can contact Bailiff Advice Online by way of our free helpline. Details are on our Contact page.