What happens if bailiffs come to my house

There could still be time to renegotiate your controlled goods agreement and stop the bailiffs from visiting - you should act quickly. Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer.

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Bailiffs and enforcement agents do not need to enter your home to take control of goods. The High Court has recently made this new ruling. At present, home visits from sheriff officers in Scotland are on hold until further notice.

If a bailiff tries to take control of goods without entering your home, you could make a complaint. If they are inside the property, they could try taking control of the goods another way such as by removing them immediately to safe storage. You, or someone acting on your behalf, must be present at the time the controlled goods agreement is made. Bailiffs must always send a letter before they visit you. Find out more about making bailiff complaints.

This gives them the right to gain entry by force. The fee for applying for this warrant will then be added to your debt. Find out more about bailiff costs and fees. In most cases a bailiff can only enter your house peaceably through a front or back door. Bailiff powers when they visit your home. This will happen if you ignore letters saying that bailiffs will be used. You might be arrested if you do not pay criminal debts, such as fines or penalty notices.

Anyone who claims to be a bailiff when they are not is committing fraud. Print entire guide. Related content Pay Council Tax arrears County court judgments for debt Options for paying off your debts. Brexit Check what you need to do. Explore the topic Court claims, debt and bankruptcy. So do not open your door and keep windows shut if you know they are due; speak through the closed door.

Politely tell them you are not going to let them in and that you will try to sort out the debt in another way. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to complain to the person who instructed the bailiffs, report the matter to the police, complain to the professional body responsible for the particular bailiffs or take court action to get your goods back.

As long as the correct court orders are in place, the bailiffs can usually take your things from anywhere in England and Wales. So if you move your goods to a friend's house, the bailiffs can come there to get them — if they know where they are. However, you don't have to answer their questions.

They can take it from wherever it is parked. But if you are still paying for a vehicle on hire purchase, they shouldn't take it. You can prove the vehicle is not yours by showing the bailiff your hire purchase agreement. The bailiffs may post a form, a "statement of means", through your letterbox and ask you to fill it in with details of your income and expenditure.

They will return this to the court, which will use it to decide on a reasonable repayment schedule. You do not have to fill in this form, but the court may later take this as a sign that you have been unwilling to pay.

Bailiffs will usually have a few attempts at getting into your property and, if they don't succeed, will eventually refer your debt back to whoever asked them to collect it. The lender or court may then take further legal action against you. In most cases, they can only take things that belong to you, but this includes things you own jointly with someone else.

They cannot take your partner's belongings. So make it clear to the bailiffs who owns what. The owner of the goods can swear a statement to say the goods belong to them.