What are a Bailiff’s Powers?

I have a question

We are often asked “what powers does a bailiff have?”

There is a common misconception that a High Court Enforcement agent has more power than a County Court bailiff. This is not true as they both have the same power.

All bailiffs work under the same power that is covered in Schedule 12 of the Tribunals Courts and Enforcement Act 2007

County Court Bailiff

Due to health and safety issues the County Court bailiffs are limited to what they can do as part of their employment. For example, a County Court bailiff is very unlikely to utilise the power to actually remove goods or physically evict a person from a property when enforcing a warrant of possession.

In addition, the County Court bailiff usually works traditional office hours (9am to 5pm) which limits time spent on the road to enforce warrants of control. This can mean visits are restricted to between 10am and 2pm Monday to Friday. So, if you want to avoid the County Court bailiff, simply do not answer the door between 10am and 2pm on a weekday.

High Court Enforcement Agent

A High Court Enforcement agent can work between the hours of 6am and 9pm, seven days a week, and fully utilises the powers laid down in the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 to the full.

A High Court Enforcement agent is usually self-employed and working under the authority of an authorised High Court Enforcement Officer as opposed to a County Court bailiff who is effectively a civil servant. High Court Enforcement agents have an incentive to collect your debt.

At Frank G Whitworth we are a firm of authorised High Court Enforcement Officers providing High Court Enforcement since 1948.

Read more about High Court Enforcement

I have a question

Telephone or email Frank G Whitworth for advice.