High Court Enforcement for Money Owed

At Absolute Enforcement Limited, we provide a seamless process to assist in obtaining a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against a debtor. By completing the provided instruction form, you authorise us to act on your behalf in submitting a claim through the Money Claim Online service. This process involves the following steps:

1. Claim Submission
   We will prepare and submit your claim through the Money Claim Online system for a fee of £90 + VAT (Admin Fee). This fee is non-refundable and covers the administration required to file your claim. Please note that this service is limited to submitting the application for the CCJ and does not include court representation or legal advice.

2. Pre-Action Protocol
   Before submitting your claim, the Pre-Action Protocol must be followed. This involves sending the debtor a formal letter or email outlining the debt, providing sufficient information about the claim, and allowing the debtor an opportunity to respond. If this step has not yet been completed, Absolute Enforcement can assist by issuing and serving the required Pre-Action Protocol letter.

3. Court Fees Based on Claim Amount
   The court fee for your CCJ application is determined by the claim amount as follows:

   Claim amount	Court Fee	Absolute Admin Fee
   £500.00 to £1,000	£70	Plus £90 plus vat
   £1,000.00 to £1,500	£80
   £1,500.00 to £3,000	£115
   £3,000.00 to £5,000	£205
   £5,000.00 to £10,000	£455
   £10,000.00 to £99,999.99	5% of the claim
   £100,000.00 and over	Can’t claim online, we would recommend using a solicitor to assist you to take to court, then pass on to us once you have the court order

4. Court Review and Judgment
   Once the claim is submitted, the court will review the application. If the debtor disputes the claim, the case may proceed to a hearing. In such instances, you may need to attend court to represent your case. Absolute Enforcement does not provide court representation. It is recommended to seek independent legal advice if required.

5. CCJ Outcome
   If the claim is successful, the court will issue a CCJ against the debtor. The CCJ will be recorded on their name, negatively impacting their credit rating.

6. Eligibility for High Court Transfer
   To transfer the case to the High Court for enforcement, the debt (claim amount) must exceed £600, excluding any court fees. Absolute Enforcement will handle this transfer once the CCJ is obtained.

When you instruct Absolute Enforcement, your fee covers a comprehensive pre-enforcement process designed to set your case up for success. This includes pre-enforcement checks on the defendant (debtor), such as reviewing Companies House records, conducting internet and open-source data searches, and preparing the case for High Court transfer. The instruction fee also includes the court fee required for obtaining a High Court Writ of Control.

Fee to Instruct: £394.13
• Enforcement Engagement Fee (Admin Fee): £210 (£252 + VAT)
  This covers the professional onboarding of your case and helps drive prompt, motivated enforcement through agent incentives..
• Court Transfer and Execution Fee (Escalation Fee): £142.13
  This includes the court fee to transfer your CCJ to the High Court and authorise enforcement under a Writ of Control.

Upon successful collection, the court transfer and execution fee is recovered from the debtor and refunded to you.

Once your instruction and payment are received, our team will immediately begin the transfer process to the High Court to obtain the High Court Writ of Control. While the speed of this process depends on the court’s timeline—a challenge faced by all enforcement companies—we take proactive steps to prioritise our cases and keep them moving forward. Some cases are processed in as little as 2 weeks, though others may take up to 10 weeks. We share your frustration with any delays, but please be assured that we have systems in place to help put our cases ahead of the queue wherever possible. Your patience during this time is greatly appreciated, and we remain fully committed to securing the Writ of Control swiftly to begin enforcement on your behalf.

At Absolute Enforcement, we actively monitor and chase court progress to ensure your case is prioritised wherever possible. It is in our interest to secure the Writ of Control swiftly so we can commence enforcement action without delay.

As soon as the High Court Writ of Control is granted, we promptly issue the legally required Notice of Enforcement letter to the defendant, giving them 14 days to make payment. This includes 7 clear days (excluding Sundays and bank holidays), plus at least two days for postage. Once the Writ is received and the notice has been sent, our team will update you immediately, marking the official start of the enforcement process.

Our standard enforcement process includes up to three visits to the debtor’s address. While there is no legal requirement to complete these visits within a set timeframe, the enforcement industry generally recognises three visits within three months of the Notice of Enforcement expiring as a reasonable guideline.

At Absolute Enforcement, we strive to meet or exceed this expectation whenever possible. However, some cases may progress more slowly depending on location, agent coverage, and the complexity of other enforcement work taking place. Despite these occasional variables, we remain committed to seeing every case through with professionalism, persistence, and care.

Our clients benefit from working with one of the UK’s most trusted enforcement providers, as seen on Channel 5’s Call the Bailiffs: Time to Pay Up. We are known for our integrity, transparency, and consistent results across England and Wales. We keep clients updated throughout the enforcement journey and make every effort to ensure cases are actioned as efficiently as possible.

In most cases, enforcement and visit fees are charged to the debtor, not the client. However, as outlined in our Terms and Conditions, there are exceptions, such as:

• if the enforcement order is overturned by the court, or
• if enforcement is not possible due to incorrect information provided at the time of instruction.

At Absolute Enforcement, it is in our interest, and the interest of our highly experienced and trained enforcement agents, to secure full payment from the debtor wherever possible. This approach ensures a successful outcome for both the client and our team.

Enforcement fees for a High Court Writ of Control set out by the MOJ in The Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014:

We understand that for some clients, speed is critical. That’s why we offer our Priority Visit Service – a premium upgrade designed for those who want the fastest possible enforcement action.

By selecting this service, your case is moved to the top of the agent’s workload, ahead of standard allocations. This allows us to bypass logistical scheduling and deliver urgent action when it matters most.

Whether you choose this at the time of instruction or later during enforcement, it’s ideal for clients who want to take control of the timeline and maximise early pressure on the debtor.

Key Benefits:

• A visit will be scheduled within 7 days of the Notice of Enforcement expiring, or within 7 days of Priority Visit payment if selected after expiry
• Your case takes precedence over others in the agent’s route
• Available across most of England and Wales
• Full refund if we are unable to complete the visit in time
• Clients can select the Priority Visit Service directly on the instruction form and will be invoiced for one priority visit.

Cost: £250 plus VAT per visit
This fee covers the additional resource needed to fast-track your case and is not recoverable from the debtor.

Our standard service remains robust and effective, but for those seeking maximum speed and focused attention, the Priority Visit Service is the best way to accelerate enforcement action.

At Absolute Enforcement, transparency is a cornerstone of our service, and we believe in providing clients with a clear understanding of all potential costs involved in the enforcement process. In certain cases, where goods need to be physically removed and sold to recover the debt, additional costs—referred to as disbursement fees—may be incurred.

What Are Disbursement Fees?

Disbursement fees cover necessary third-party costs associated with the removal, storage, and sale of goods to facilitate enforcement. Examples of these fees include, but are not limited to:

• Vehicle Removal and Storage: Hiring a tow truck or removal vehicle and securing storage for the vehicle.
• Locksmith Services: Costs for accessing or securing a property or vehicle.
• Vehicle Checks: Conducting DVLA checks to verify the responsible keeper of the vehicle or HPI checks to confirm whether a vehicle is subject to outstanding finance.
• Auctioneer Costs: Fees for the sale of goods at auction.

These disbursement fees are added to the debtor’s balance and are prioritised for recovery when the goods are sold. The order of payment from auction proceeds is as follows:

1. Auctioneer Fees
2. Disbursement Fees
3. Enforcement Fees and Client’s Money

Indemnity Costs

In cases where disbursement fees are required to continue enforcement action, the client will be contacted before any such fees are applied. Clients will have the opportunity to indemnify the estimated disbursement fees by transferring the required amount into our client account. This ensures that enforcement can proceed without delay, while safeguarding the costs involved.

Why Indemnity Costs Are Necessary?

As a private, limited company, we are unable to absorb the costs associated with enforcing and selling goods upfront. Indemnity payments allow us to act decisively on your behalf, ensuring that enforcement progresses efficiently. Our goal is always to recover these costs from the sale of the goods, minimising the financial impact on our clients.

It’s important to note that disbursement fees will only be applied when our enforcement agents determine they are essential to achieving a successful outcome for your case. We strive to make enforcement both efficient and cost-effective, giving you the best chance of recovering your debt.

Please note: If we are unable to successfully recover your debt, an abortive fee of £90 (£75 plus VAT) is due to us by law.