Collectica Ltd.
Collectica Enforcement Services is a court-appointed service, employed to recover outstanding debt.
Enforcement agents, typically known as bailiffs, hold more power than traditional debt collection agencies and have access to additional methods of debt recovery.
If you’ve recently received a letter from Collectica Enforcement Services telling you that their bailiffs will be visiting your home in the near future, there are measures you can take to protect yourself.
It’s not always easy to know what rights you have to safeguard yourself and your belongings. We’re here to share the answers to our most commonly asked questions and to offer a few recommendations of what you should and shouldn’t do.
If there’s anything we’ve missed, specific to your situation, our resident debt expert, TAD, can give you help and advice to help get you back on track.
The golden rule when dealing with any bailiff
Never give the bailiff access to your home or your belongings.
In simple terms: DON’T LET THEM INSIDE YOUR HOME.
There are a few other things you can do to protect yourself, but if you don’t grant the bailiff access to your home, there’s very little they can do. They certainly can’t remove your belongings.
They aren’t even allowed to start making a list of your belongings by looking through your windows.
The best thing to do is to be cautious and stay firm. Keep all doors locked and windows closed. If you’re going to talk to the agents, join them outside, but don’t leave the house through a door where they can gain access.
Collectica Enforcement Services contact details:
Company Name: Collectica Enforcement Services
Other Names: Collectica Ltd., Collectica Bailiffs, Collectica
Address:
PO Box 12019
Epping
CM16 9EB
Main Contact Number(s): 0333 320 1822
Website: www.collectica.co.uk
Email: http://www.collectica.co.uk/contact-us/
Opening hours:
Monday–Friday: 8:00am–8:00pm
Saturday–Sunday: 8:00am–1:00pm
Who is Collectica Enforcement Services?
Collectica Ltd. is a professional debt recovery and fine enforcement firm. They operate across the UK and provide services to HM Courts and Tribunals Service through the Crown and Magistrates Courts.
The Ministry of Justice regulates all bailiffs and enforcement agencies.
Why would Collectica Enforcement Services contact you?
Collectica Ltd. collects debts related to:
- Warrants issued by the Courts and Tribunal Service
- Road traffic fines and non-payments of taxes
- Council Tax
- Non-domestic rates
- Unpaid rent
- Housing benefit overpayments
If you have failed to make payments or fallen into arrears with any of the above, Collectica Enforcement has the responsibility of recovering the money that you owe.
Bailiffs are highly motivated to get what they need. They are trained to use every means available and will not stop until they get what they came for.
If you don’t come to an agreement with them, they can remove your belongings to sell towards what you owe, but generally, will only carry this out as a last resort. Wherever there are different and easier ways to help you pay what you owe, they will give you every opportunity to do so.
Items Collectica’s bailiffs can take from you:
- Money/cash
- Cars
- Joint-owned items
- Luxury goods
- Electrical products
- Televisions
- Games consoles
- Antiques
- Jewellery
Items Collect Services can’t take from you:
- Landline telephone or mobile phone
- Work tools and equipment up to £1,350 in value
- Necessary electrical appliances, i.e., cooker, fridge, freezer
- Clothes, food and other daily essential items
- Dining tables and chairs for the occupants of your home
- Heating appliances
- Lighting appliances
- Pets or assistance dogs
- Belongings owned by someone else living in your home, i.e., your partner’s computer, children’s toys, etc.
When it comes to proving ownership of items, it can be almost impossible. In these instances, we suggest you remove what you can so it cannot be taken.
You can do this by moving them to a relative’s or friend’s house or hiding them somewhere the bailiff can’t achieve access. The same goes for your car.
If the bailiff doesn’t know those belongings exist, they can’t take them away from you. Receiving a letter letting you know when they’re planning to visit gives you the time to get organised.
What happens to the goods Collectica Ltd. takes from you?
In the worst-case scenario, they will be sold, privately or at auction, and the money raised through the sale will be given to those who you owe or to pay for the bailiff’s services.
Your bailiff won’t take goods right away. They will create what’s known as a Controlled Goods Agreement that outlines all of the items they intend to sell if you don’t make a reasonable effort to repay what you owe.
In many cases, this is enough to force the debtor into action and deal with their debt instead of ignoring it. If the problem gets as far as the goods being taken away, the only way to get them back is to deal with the problem before they are sold. You will incur charges and costs related to their removal though, so the sooner you find a solution to your problem, the better.
What happens when Collectica Enforcement try to take your car?
A bailiff will usually try to take your car regardless of its age or condition. Even the oldest vehicles in poor condition can raise over £100 in scrap value.
There are steps you can take to make sure that doesn’t happen. Bailiffs are governed by strict laws and can’t access property that isn’t a public domain or right of way. So, if you park your car in a neighbour’s drive, garage or a private car park, they don’t hold the jurisdiction to remove it.
A car under a hire-purchase agreement is still considered the property of the agreement holders, so they can’t remove those either.
Disabled drivers are protected too, so any car sporting a Blue Disabled Badge is exempt from the bailiffs.
Bailiff’s fees
There are many fees a bailiff is can charge throughout all stages of their process, which are often very excessive.
They can issue charges for notices and payment requests, recovery expenses, hiring external assistance, advertising your goods and paying to have your belongings sent to auction.
The best way to deal with your debt problem and to safeguard your belongings is to find a solution before the process gets underway. Talk to TAD about what you can do to achieve a manageable schedule to repay what you owe, to protect yourself and your family through the process.
