Being chased by bailiffs for many can be a daunting prospect, many individuals around Britain have debt problems that are unresolved, which has escalated to the point where people are actively being chased by Bailiffs & debt collection agencies.
Bailiffs or “Enforcement Agents” can be a problem for people in debt, but you have rights and there are ways to halt bailiffs & creditor hassle.
Ways To Stop Bailiffs
There are different ways to halt “enforcement action” and stop bailiffs’ from chasing
Bailiffs: Knowing Your Rights
- Bailiffs cannot legally gain entry into your property unless either invited to do so or if they have a warrant (usually issued to recover a specific type of outstanding debt or a criminal debt).
- If your doors are locked, a bailiff cannot legally enter your home, they can only enter with an invitation or warrant, if you keep your doors locked & do not invite them in, this will mean the bailiff must stay on the outside of the property or leave the premises, so don’t invite the bailiffs in or leave any doors or windows unlocked.
- There are exceptional circumstances where a bailiff may gain special permissions to enter the property, but this is rare, they may also gain permission to use “reasonable force”, if the bailiff claims this is the case then you must ask to see a warrant or a paper issuing permission for such an action.
- Bailiffs will only collect on debts’ such as payday loans if the creditor has issued a CCJ and you have failed to repay that debt or negotiated a payment plan.
- Reasonable force (in the event this has been permitted) legally allows a bailiff to force a door or gate open, or cut through a padlock or break down a vehicle barrier, but under no circumstances does a bailiff have the right to use violence or force of any type against a human inhabitant of the property.
There are also other “longer term” ways to deal with Bailiffs.
Debt Management Plans: This can halt Bailiff Action
Debt Management plans are informal arrangements that can stop the bailiffs from pursuing you for your existing debts, this is because your debt would then be managed by a dedicated financial adviser, giving you the peace of mind you need to continue your life in the normal fashion.
IVA: The Individual Voluntary Arrangement
The IVA or “Individual Voluntary Arrangement” is a formal debt “management” arrangement which is legally binding; this stops bailiffs from chasing you further, it’s a popular arrangement for people with debts over £10,000 & more than 2 creditors however you have to check first if you qualify.
DRO: The Debt Relief Order
These are financial arrangements that are seen as preferable alternatives to bankruptcy, the fees to get into a DRO are low, but one requirement is that you have no saleable assets above £1,000.
Free debt management companies’ like PayPlan for example offer all three of these financial management solutions, you can find further information on stopping bailiff actions here which will give you extra context and advice on how to deal with any bailiff pursuit.
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