Bailiffs: Check a Bailiffs Credentials

From Consumer Wiki
Revision as of 00:11, 30 October 2008 by Mbrowne (talk | contribs) (Check a Bailiffs Credentials)

Check a Bailiffs Credentials

The bailiff must be certificated

If you have the name of the bailiff, then call the Ministry of Justice on 020 3334 3555 and ask for details of the certificate. Their list is not always up to date however but they will be able to tell you which court issued the original certificate and you can then call that court.

You can also check with the OFT who maintain a register of bailiffs at this number 020 7211 8608 .


The bailiff or his firm must be licensed to trade in debt recovery

He must have a Category E Consumer Credit License pursuant to Section 21(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 otherwise they are committing an offence under Section 39(1) of the Act. Check the Consumer Credit Licensing Public Register on 0207 211 8608 and press 1 to search register.


The bailiff charged a credit card fee

The bailiff or his firm must be licensed to trade in credit brokerage, or for processing regulated credit transactions between a lender and a borrower. He must hold a Category C consumer Credit License pursuant to Section 21(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 otherwise they are committing an offence under Section 39(1) of the Act. Check the Consumer Credit Licensing Public Register on 0207 211 8608 and press 1 to search register. The law does not provide bailiff’s charging fees that are not prescribed and is an offence under Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.


The bailiff charged interest.

The bailiff or his firm be licensed in consumer credit and he must hold a Category A consumer Credit License pursuant to Section 21(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 otherwise they are committing an offence under Section 39(1) of the Act. Check the Consumer Credit Licensing Public Register on 0207 211 8608 and press 1 to search register. In any event, the bailiff would have to provide you with a regulated loan agreement setting out the rate of interest and loan period and be able to give you a written quotation before you agree to a loan. The law does not provide for bailiffs charging interest (unless it’s awarded under Section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984) and is an offence under Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.

With thanks to 10110001