Rossendales Ltd
Whenever you find out that a bailiff is planning to visit, it can bring up a long list of questions about your rights, what’s likely to happen, and if you’re going to have to hand over your valuables and personal property.
The following page will provide some of the information required to deal with a visit from Rossendales or any other court-appointed bailiff service.
A bailiff’s job is to recover the outstanding amount of a debt that hasn’t been paid through traditional means.
Bailiffs are legally permitted to take your belongings; however, they’d prefer to take that option only as a last resort.
The golden rule when dealing with any bailiff
Never give a bailiff access to your home or your belongings.
In the simplest of terms: DON’T LET THEM IN.
A bailiff only has the right to enter your home if you say they can. They will try to gain access through whatever means necessary, as this makes their job a lot easier. The best thing you can do is keep the doors closed and locked.
Once they have access, you will find it very difficult to get them to leave unless they’ve managed to get what they came for.
If they gain access, they are then allowed to list the items you own that can be sold to pay towards the money you owe. We’ll cover what they can and can’t take further into the page.
Rossendales Bailiffs contact details:
Company Name: Rossendales Ltd.
Other Names: Rossendales, Rossendales Bailiffs
Address:
Wavell House
Holecombe Road
Helmshore
Rossendale
Lancs
BB4 4NB
Main Contact Number(s): 0333 320 2158 or 0333 320 2155
Fax: 0844 701 3982
Website: wwww.rossendales.com
Email: info@rossendales.com
Opening hours:
Monday–Friday: 8:00am–8:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am–4:00pm
Sunday: 7:45am–6:00pm
Who is Rossendales?
Opened in 1972, Rossendales are market leaders in local authority debt recovery, specialising in debt enforcement and debt collection.
They work for over 250 public and private sector creditors throughout England and Wales and are governed under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.
Each year, they recover around £92million for their clients. They collect non-FCA regulated debts, including utility bills and sundry debts.
Why would Rossendales contact you?
Whenever a problem debt passes to a debt collection agency or bailiff, they will take every step they can to recover the money.
An enforcement agency (bailiff) holds authority granted by the court and has the legal power to do things that a debt collection agency can’t.
The key difference is that an enforcement agency can take your belongings and sell them to pay towards the money you owe.
Items Rossendales can take from you:
- Luxury items
- Jewellery
- Your car
- Televisions
- Games consoles
- Money
- Antiques
- Joint-owned items
Items Rossendales can’t take from you:
- Daily essentials such as clothes and food
- White goods, i.e., where cooker, fridge, freezer
- Dining tables and chairs
- Work tools and equipment under £1,350 in value
- Belongings owned by someone else, i.e.: your partner’s computer, children’s toys, etc.
Proving the ownership of belongings can be difficult, and your bailiff will often have the final say without the correct proof.
If you’d like specific information relating to which of your belongings a bailiff can take, TAD, our resident debt expert, will be happy to explain any areas where you’re unsure.
What happens to the goods Rossendales take from you?
When an enforcement agent takes away your belongings, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re gone for good.
If you can settle your account or make an agreement of regular repayments suitable with the bailiff, you can get them back. You need to do this before the items go to auction or are sold of course, so taking action as soon as possible is key.
The other way to get your belongings back is to prove they were taken from you in a way where the bailiff didn’t follow the correct protocol.
TAD can explain the options to resolve your situation without the stresses a bailiff will bring.
What happens if Rossendales take your car?
Your car is likely to be one of the most valuable possessions you own. However, strict rules dictate whether the bailiff can take it or not.
If you lease your car, have it on loan from a friend or family member, or it is still on hire purchase, they can’t take it. They can take it, however, if it’s joint-owned between you and your partner.
A bailiff can NEVER take a car with a Blue Disabled Badge.
Whenever a bailiff clamps your car, you must not try and remove the clamp. Even simply trying to do so is illegal and you could be sent to prison for attempting to do so.
Our suggestion is: hide your car or park it a neighbour’s driveway or garage. If they can’t find it or gain legal access to where it is parked, they can’t take it.
Bailiff’s fees
When an enforcement agent is called in to collect a defaulted account, they are entitled to charge fees throughout the process. Their fees are charged throughout the different stages of compliance, enforcement and for the sale of goods.
The law defining the application of fees is covered under the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014.
These fees are excessive. If you can avoid them at any cost, you should. We urge anyone pursued by a bailiff to find an solution as soon as possbile, as these excessive fees will only add more pressure and stress to your finances.
