HCE Group

I have a County Court Judgment for over £600.00. What do I do next?
Simply send your judgment or a photocopy together with a cheque for £50.00 payable to HMCS to our Liverpool, or Reading office. They will issue a writ and lodge it at the nearest enforcement office where the debtor resides or trades from for execution.

How much will the enforcement cost us?

If we make a full recovery, the Defendant will pay our costs. If we are unsuccessful and return the warrant we charge just £60.00 plus VAT per address.

What service can I expect for my £60.00 should the Writ prove to be abortive? You can expect at least 3 visits to the given address and a full written report.

If you have seized the defendant’s goods and we accept a direct arrangement or payment in full, what are your likely charges?
We would ask that you do not accept any payments direct once the writ has been issued, however should this occur there are 2 scenarios:

Firstly – We have attended and listed sufficient goods to cover the debt together with all costs and removal charges. In this scenario we would expect you to pay all our statutory fees, generally around 9% of what you have recovered.

Secondly – We have attended and left a letter without a formal seizure taking place. In this scenario we would expect you to pay 2.5% plus VAT of what you have recovered, as the debt has now been paid under compulsion of the Writ.

Do you charge for a DVLA or an HPI search?
Yes we do, there is a standard charge of £11.75 for a combined search per vehicle.

Can you break in to a Defendant's house?
No, we cannot force entry into a private dwelling. However the Tribunal and Courts Bill, when it becomes law, will grant an Enforcement Officer, with leave of the court, authority to enter a private dwelling house.

Can you break in to the commercial premises of a Defendant Company?
Yes we can force entry, however we would always contact you the client in the first instance.

If you discover that the defendant no longer resides or trades from the given address directed, what would you do in those circumstances?
We would write to you asking whether or not you have a further address that we could attend, as the law will only allow us to attend the address on the Writ.

Can you remove anyone’s goods?
We can only remove goods belonging to the defendant, there are occasions when it is claimed that goods seized belong to a third party, however at the time of seizure those claims cannot be substantiated. Should we subsequently receive a third party claim, we will write to you asking that you either admit or dispute the claim.

How long will it take you from the time you receive the Writ of Fi Fa to enforcement?
We are currently making our 1st visit on all writs received within 24-72 hours. There are exceptions; should the defendant live in a remote location it could take up to 5 working days.

When will I receive my money?
As soon as the statutory embargo has expired. This is generally 14 days after clearance of funds.

How are your fees made up?
Our fees are statutory, and there are discretionary fees, however there are also occasions when we have to re-attend due to a broken arrangement to remove goods. In these circumstances we will apply a reasonable attendance fee, see (HCEO regulations 2004 Schedule 3. Regulation 13. Fee order 12.)

Can you give me access on line?
Yes we can, but only for bulk issuers.

How often will I receive a report?
You will receive a report as soon as there is any material change regarding the enforcement of your Writ.

How long will my Writ last?
The life of a Writ lasts for 12 months. You have the option to extend before the expiry date or renew after it expires, for a further 12 months. We would suggest that you contact our office and discuss whether or not this would be a worthwhile exercise.

Who’s name should I use as the Authorised Officer?
We have more Authorised Officers than any other enforcement office, however you can use any one of the following names to have your writ enforced by High Court Enforcement Group Ltd:

Martin Leyshon
Gordon Dean
Michael R Anderson
Derek Dean
Philip C Evans
Paul Dean
Angela Egmore
Michael Kimber
Jonathan Gater
Stuart Vann
Patrick M Farrington
Nigel Pepper
Richard Bullock
John A James
Andrew Duncan
Nigel Horner
Norman Southern