Equita Ltd
Receiving notification of a bailiff visit can be scary, cause a great deal of stress and raise a lot of questions about what rights you have.
Being prepared will help you manage this to the best possible outcome; amicably and with a solution that suits everyone involved.
We’ll explain your rights and offer techniques to help you deal with enforcement agents. We can provide suggestions on how to keep your valuables safe from collection and how to prevent your car from being removed.
For anything that you can’t find here, or if you need information relating specifically to your unique situation, our experts are always available to explain your options.
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.
It’s a difficult task to undertake, but if you can be firm and stand your ground, you don’t have to let a bailiff or enforcement officer into your home.
You stand a better chance of resolving your situation by working with those sent to recover the money that you owe, but you don’t have to do that inside your home.
If you can stop them getting in, then the bailiffs won’t have access to your belongings, nor can they take anything to be sold towards paying the debt you owe.
Equita Ltd. contact details:
Company Name: Equita Ltd.
Other Names: Equita Bailiffs, Equita HCE, Equita Enforcement Agents, Capita, Capita Group
Address:
42–44 Henry Street
Northampton
NN1 4BZ
Main Contact Number(s): 01604 628360
Website: www.equita.co.uk
Email: mail@equita.co.uk
Opening hours:
Monday–Friday: 8:00am–8:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am–4:00pm
Sunday: 10:00am–4:00pm
Who is Equita Ltd.?
Equita is an enforcement and debt recovery company, operating with nearly 1000 staff, and with over 140 years of experience.
The head office is based in Northampton, although they operate over a number of offices that deal with the millions of customer contacts they manage every year.
They are part of the Capita Group, and provide services that include:
- High Court enforcement
- Writs
- Unpaid CCJs
- Unpaid awards and settlements
- Evictions and recovery
- Local taxation and parking enforcement
- Private parking collection
- Sundry debt collection
- Pre warrant collection
- Commercial property debt
Equita recover figures over £150million every year for their clients.
The Ministry of Justice regulates all bailiffs and enforcement agencies.
Why would Equita Bailiffs contact you?
When traditional methods of debt recovery fail to recover the money a lender is owed, the next steps are to get help from the County or High Court. Their judgements are then carried out by qualified enforcement officers.
With the jurisdiction of the courts, they hold additional powers compared to a traditional debt recovery agency. They are entitled to remove your belongings and valuables if they think they can be sold to pay towards the outstanding debt.
Items Equita can take from you:
- Cash
- Jewellery
- Cars
- Electrical goods
- Games consoles
- Televisions
- Antiques
- Joint-owned items
Items Equita can’t take from you:
- Landline telephone or mobile phone
- Belongings owned by someone else living in your home, i.e., your partner’s computer, children’s toys, etc.
- 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
- Clothes, food and other daily essential items
- Pets and assistance dogs
- Work tools and equipment up to £1,350 in value
A bailiff will make a list of the goods they plan to take, also known as a Controlled Goods Agreement. It’s a good idea to store anything you think they might take at a friend or family member’s house—and entirely legal.
Nobody wants you to lose your belongings, so discussing the matter with your bailiff to explain your circumstances is the first step to finding a reasonable solution.
If you’re not sure of all the options available to you, we’re happy to go through them with you and help you pick the one that’s best for you.
What happens to the goods Equita take from you?
Taking your property is the last resort for most bailiffs. They’re much more interested in finding a way you can repay your debts without having to resort to selling your belongings.
If they have seized any of your property, the best way to get it back is to find a repayment method your bailiff will accept.
If you can’t find a way to repay the money, your belongings will be sold, either through a private sale or at auction.
What happens when Equita want to take your car?
Having your car taken away will have a great impact on your life. It often means being unable to get to work, which only makes dealing with your finances that much harder.
However, to a bailiff, our cars are possibly the most valuable assets we have and will try to take it to pay towards your debt if matters get that far.
The simplest way to protect your vehicle is to hide it where the bailiff can’t find it or to park it where they don’t have a legal right to take or clamp it.
A bailiff also can’t remove a vehicle with a Blue Disabled Badge or one that is still under a hire purchase agreement.
Bailiff’s fees
As well as possibly losing your car and belongings, bailiffs will add charges and fees to your debt. The money they demand to carry out their services is charged to you and added to the amount you already owe.
Fees are charged in accordance with the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 and are considered high in many instances.
You will be charged up to £75 for specific notices and letters, and a one-off fee of £235 if they need to visit your home. You will also be charged for associated costs involved with advertising and selling your goods, repairs and more.
If you’ve been contacted by Equita 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 them 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.
