Dukes Bailiffs
We get a lot of calls and emails from people who are worried about a bailiff’s visit to their home.
If you’ve recently received a letter from Dukes Bailiffs, letting you know that they’re planning to come to your home, you should take steps in preparation.
Luckily, we have all the information you need. We’ll let you know a few of the best practices to protect your possessions, your car and what to expect when they call.
We’re also here to offer advice on how to deal with the debt problem that they’re chasing. Our experts understand every detail of credit and debt and will explain the best solutions to your unique situation.
The golden rule when dealing with any bailiff
Never give bailiffs access to your home or belongings.
In simple terms: DON’T LET THEM IN.
A bailiff has the authority to take your belongings and sell them to pay towards the money you owe. In most cases, this only happens after your creditor has taken you to court to try and recover the debt.
However, if you take the right measures to stop the enforcement agent from accessing your belongings, they can’t take them away. The simplest way to do that is not to let them inside.
We appreciate that this is often easier said than done, as bailiffs are incredibly determined to carry out their job. They hold a wealth of experience and will utilise every tactic available to get through your door.
Dukes Bailiffs contact details:
Company Name: Dukes Bailiffs Ltd.
Other Names: Dukes, Dukes Bailiffs
Address:
Dukes Court
7 Newcastle Steet
Stone
Staffordshire
ST15 8JT
Main Contact Number(s): 01785 825 500
Website: www.dukesdebtonline.co.uk / dukeslimited.co.uk
Email: info@dukeslimited.co.uk
Opening hours:
Monday–Friday: 8:00am–6:00pm
Who are Dukes Bailiffs?
Opening in 1993, Dukes Bailiffs is a privately owned family run business, providing enforcement services across the UK.
Their key services include:
- Recovery of unpaid invoices
- Commercial rent arrears and debt recovery
- Road traffic enforcement
- Local taxation recovery
- High Court enforcement
- Trespasser removal
- Sundry debt collection
They are an award-winning business, winning the B&I Today Debt Collection Company of the Year 2019 as well as being finalists in the IRRV Performance Awards 2019 for Excellence in Innovation (Collection).
The Ministry of Justice regulates all bailiffs and enforcement agencies.
Why would Dukes Bailiffs contact you?
With such a broad range of services, you could be approached by Dukes for any of the aforementioned actions.
In most cases, their main objective will be to recover the money that you owe to their client.
An enforcement agency (or bailiff) is entitled to take a debtor’s possessions to help pay towards their outstanding account.
Items DG Collection Services can take from you:
- Televisions and games consoles
- Cash
- Cars
- Luxury possessions
- Antiques and collectables
- Jewellery
- Electrical goods
- Any joint-owned items
Items DG Collection Services can’t take from you:
- Clothes, food and other daily essential items
- Dining tables and chairs for the occupants of your home
- Heating and lighting appliances
- Everyday use appliances, i.e., white goods such as your cooker, fridge, freezer
- Landline telephone or mobile phone
- Belongings owned by someone else living in your home, i.e., your partner’s computer, children’s toys, etc.
- Pets or assistance dogs
- Work tools and equipment up to £1,350 in value
Bailiffs will be very determined to recover any outstanding payment, and they will continue to chase you despite your best efforts to avoid them.
You can take steps to protect your possessions; one such way is to store items away from your home. They’ll usually send you a letter in advance telling you they’re coming, so you’ll have a chance to move them to an alternative location.
However, the best way to keep them off your back for good is to enter into a payment plan to clear the balance owed. If you can’t afford to pay the amounts they’re asking for you should be able to arrange more affordable ones.
If a payment plan isn’t affordable to you, our experts are on hand to explain the alternatives. We could help you achieve more manageable instalments or even get a percentage of your debt written off.
What happens to the goods Dukes Bailiffs take from you?
If Dukes remove your belongings, then chances are they will be sold to go towards repaying your debt.
However, taking your belongings and selling them is generally a last resort for most bailiffs.
In most cases, an enforcement agent creates a Controlled Goods Agreement. This is a list of items they plan to sell, which is often enough to push anyone into action and srt out paying back what they owe.
What happens when Dukes Bailiffs want to take your car?
When the car you drive doesn’t legally belong to you, the bailiff can’t take it. So, if you’re still paying for your car under a hire purchase agreement, or it’s on loan from a friend or relative, it can’t be used to pay towards your debt.
Also, any vehicle that carries a Blue Disabled Badge can’t be used as an acquisition by the bailiff.
To protect your car, there are a few things you can do to prevent it from being taken.
- A bailiff would need a court order to remove a car from private property—so if you can park your car in a neighbour’s driveway or garage, they can’t legally gain access to it.
- Using a private car park carries the same legislation—you could consider that as an alternative short-term fix.
- Finally, hiding your car or parking it somewhere the bailiff would never consider looking for it is also an option.
You can still use your car during negotiations, as your car will be added to the Controlled Goods Agreement prior to its removal. Again, this is a great motivation to find a solution to repaying the money you owe.
Bailiff’s fees
With a £75 charge for sending a warning or notice letter and a £235 cost for a visit to your home or workplace, the fees a bailiff can charge are quite significant. Your bailiff is entitled to make all kinds of charges for the services they conduct throughout the process.
The charges are governed by the Taking of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 and the costs are standard across the industry.
As you can imagine, when you’re already struggling to meet your repayments, these additional costs are only going to make life more difficult.
To limit the costs of your case, it’s important to sort out a solution as soon as possible. We can guide you through your best-case scenario and help to get you back on financial track as quickly as possible.
If you’ve been contacted by Dukes Bailiffs and need some help or advice, talk to TAD today. Support from our trusted debt advice partners will help you determine the state of your debt to be certain you do owe the money, or if it has been statute barred.
If they can challenge the debt, they will make sure you don’t have to pay them a penny.
If, however, the debt is live, then they can help you find a debt solution that suits your circumstances to help regain control of your finances.
Your debt solution will allow you to repay what you owe with monthly payments based on what you can realistically afford each month.
For help dealing with your debt, talk to TAD to be connected with one of our trusted debt partners.
