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Bailiffs are used by most types of creditor, usually by threatening to take
things you may own, which they can sell to repay your debt.
It's important to realise that debt collectors are not the same as
bailiffs. Debt collectors cannot take any action against you, apart from
asking you to pay. If you believe a debt collector is falsely acting as a
bailiff, contact the trading standards department
at your local council.
If you are being threatened, contact the police.
Despite the impression that bailiffs may give you, in most cases, bailiffs
are not allowed to force their way into your home. But this is only as
long as they have not been inside on an earlier occasion.
If you do let a bailiff into your home, they will usually take 'walking
possession' of some of your belongings. This means that if you miss
payments on your debt in the future, the bailiff is legally permitted to force
entry into your home and take away those items. So if you never let the
bailiff into your home, they will never be able to take 'walking possession' of
your belongings inside it. But things not inside your house (a car, for
example) can be taken.
For most types of debt, 'basic household items' can't be taken away by a
bailiff. This includes a bed, for example, but not a television or many
other items.
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last updated
16/08/07
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