Whyte & Co.
Whenever debt problems reach the stage where a bailiff is employed to recover what you owe, it can cause a great deal of stress and a wide range of associated problems.
The best way to manage the problem is to deal with the debt as soon as you can.
Here at Talk About Debt, we offer advice, information and solutions to anyone who has found themself in such a predicament.
If you have received an enforcement officer’s letter warning you of a visit to your home, we can help you to deal with the debt before matters fall even further out of hand. We will show you the best way to repay what you owe that is within your means and suitable for the agency recouping the debt.
We understand everything there is to know about credit and debt. Our professional team is here to help you get out of debt and stay in good financial health.
The golden rule when dealing with the bailiffs
Never give bailiffs access to your home or your belongings.
In simple terms: DON’T LET THEM IN.
An enforcement agent can only force entry into your home if they hold the correct court order. Without one, they are only entitled to make a peaceful entry. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t use every strategy they know to get past you and into your home.
Once inside, they won’t leave until they’ve got what they want.
The first thing they’ll request will be the full payment. If you can’t repay the debt in full, they’ll expect you to engage with a suitable payment plan. Finally, they’ll make a list of the items in your home they intend to confiscate and sell if you don’t meet their repayment demands.
Keep your doors and windows closed and locked at all times. Talk to them through the letterbox or outside if you must. We can talk to them on your behalf if you’d prefer. Whatever you do, make sure you keep them outside wherever possible.
Whyte & Co. contact details:
Company Name: Whyte & Co.
Other Names: Whyte & Co. Enforcement Services, Whyte & Co. Bailiffs, Whyte & Co. Debt Collection
Address:
7 White Oak Square
London Road
Swanley
Kent
BR8 7AG
Main Contact Number(s): 0345 458 9429
Fax: 0345 458 9439
Website: www.whyte.co.uk
Email: info@whyte.co.uk
Opening hours:
Monday–Thursday: 9:00am–5:00pm
Friday: 9:00am–5:00pm
Who is Whyte & Co. Enforcement Agents?
Whyte & Co. is a civil enforcement company. They were established in 1980 to provide professional bailiff services.
The Ministry of Justice regulates all bailiffs and enforcement agencies.
Why would Whyte & Co. contact you?
Whyte & Co. provides debt recovery services, including:
- Housing benefit overpayments
- Former tenant rent arrears
- Current rents
- Sundry debts
- Penalty charge recovery
- Debt recovery prior to civil enforcement
- Traffic management enforcement
Wherever the debtor fails to comply with the recovery of the money that they owe, an enforcement agent is entitled to confiscate their belongings to sell them to pay towards the debt.
The bailiff may take all luxury items including antiques, electrical and electronic goods, jewellery, televisions, games consoles and more.
They can’t take any items considered necessary for a basic standard of living. These items include such things as your cooker, fridge, freezer and washing machine. Your food and clothes are also safe from the bailiffs, as is your dining table and enough chairs for each of your family; so is your landline telephone and mobile.
If you’d like to talk to someone about a particular item or how to prove specific belongings are those of a housemate or family member, then talk to our resident debt expert, TAD, today.
We can also explain your rights and suggest alternative methods of debt removal or repayment that you may not be aware of.
What happens to the goods Whyte & Co. take from you?
Your belongings will only be taken as a last resort. If they are removed, they will be sold, privately or at auction. The money raised will be used to pay off all or part of the debt and also towards the costs of recovering the money that you owe.
The best way to keep your belongings safe is to find a way to remove the debt entirely or engage in an appropriate repayment schedule.
To protect your possessions while you organise a suitable repayment option, you could arrange to store them away from your home. Your bailiff only has access to your property, so if you remove your goods to a family or friend’s home, they don’t have the legal right to take them.
However, you must do this before they create their Controlled Goods Agreement. The agreement is a list of all items the bailiff intends to confiscate and sell if you don’t comply with their demands.
What happens when Whyte & Co. want to take your car?
Just as they are entitled to with the rest of your belongings, a bailiff can seize your car to sell towards repaying the money that you owe.
If they add it to your Controlled Goods Agreement, you should still be able to use it, as long as you stick to the terms dictated by them.
If you break the terms, then your bailiff can clamp or sell your car at any point they feel justified.
Blue Disabled Badge holders can’t have their car taken from them. Also, a car under a hire-purchase agreement isn’t legally owned by the driver until paid in full, so can’t be removed or sold.
Bailiff’s fees
Whyte & Co. will charge you:
- £75 for your initial enforcement notice
- A one-off £235 visitation fee when they visit you at home or work
- A £110 fixed fee to remove and sell your goods
There are many other associated costs and expenses an enforcement agency can apply to your account. Each additional cost adds to your existing debt, making repayment harder or over a much longer term.
The sooner you deal with the problem, the less chance you have of accumulating additional costs.
If you’ve been contacted by Whyte & Co 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.
