If B & S Bailiff Services has sent a notice or visited, check the document before deciding what to do. Record the full company name, creditor, balance, reference, legal authority and deadline. The Companies House record for B & S Bailiff Services Ltd uses company number 04495084, but the creditor should also confirm that it instructed the firm on your case.
Do not ignore a genuine Notice of Enforcement. Acting during the compliance period can preserve more options and may avoid the enforcement-stage visit fee.
Quick checks #
- Confirm the debt and instruction with the council or creditor through its official website.
- Check whether the letter is a Notice of Enforcement and names a warrant, liability order or other power.
- Compare the issue date, deadline, balance and fees with the rules below.
- If a visitor claims to be an enforcement agent, ask for identification and verify their certificate.
- Keep copies of every notice, payment, email and agreed arrangement.
What powers do they have? #
B & S can use enforcement powers only when acting under valid legal authority. A payment request or doorstep call by an ordinary debt collector does not itself permit goods to be taken.
For council tax and most civil debts, an enforcement agent cannot normally force entry on a first visit. You usually do not have to let them in, and they must not push past you. Keep the door locked and speak through a closed door, window or phone.
Do not obstruct an agent or interfere with goods that have already been taken into control. Different entry powers can apply to certain criminal fines and controlled goods, so seek urgent case-specific advice if either is mentioned.
Notice period and current fees #
For a standard non-High Court case received by an enforcement agent on or after 1 May 2026, the usual statutory stages are:
| Stage | Typical trigger | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance | Case enters compliance and notice is issued | £79 |
| Enforcement | First attendance to take control of goods | £247, plus 7.5% of debt above £1,900 |
| Sale or disposal | Goods are removed for sale | £116, plus 7.5% of debt above £1,900 |
Cases received before 1 May 2026 can remain on the former £75, £235 and £110 scale. High Court enforcement has a different fee structure.
The normal compliance period for affected cases is at least 14 clear days. A debt adviser can request at least 28 clear days for a qualifying non-business debt if the request is made in time; a court can authorise a shorter period. Get advice promptly if the dates or fees do not appear to fit your case.
Vehicles and household goods #
An enforcement agent may be able to clamp or remove a vehicle owned by the debtor without entering the home. A finance or lease agreement, third-party ownership or a statutory exemption can affect whether a vehicle may be taken.
Keep ownership and finance documents available and send copies promptly if there is a dispute. Do not assume that parking elsewhere makes a vehicle legally protected, and do not hide, sell or move goods after they have been taken into control.
Essential domestic items and certain tools needed personally for work are protected within statutory limits. An agent should not take goods belonging solely to someone else, but evidence may be needed.
How to respond #
- Debt is correct and affordable: contact the verified creditor or agent before the notice expires. Offer only what a realistic budget supports and get any agreement, including whether enforcement will pause, in writing.
- Debt, balance or identity is wrong: dispute it in writing with evidence and ask the creditor to review the instruction. A dispute does not automatically suspend every deadline.
- You are vulnerable: tell both the creditor and B & S, describe the effect on you and provide relevant evidence. Ask what adjustments or review will be made.
- You need advice time: contact a free, regulated debt-advice service immediately. A formal Breathing Space can pause qualifying action, subject to its eligibility rules and exclusions.
- Several debts are unaffordable: compare all suitable debt solutions. An IVA is only one option and is not a guaranteed way to reverse enforcement already taken.
Complaints #
Keep the notice, agent’s name, dates, call logs, payment records and any photographs or video. Complain in writing to B & S and to the creditor or council that instructed it. State what happened, which rule you believe was breached and what remedy you want.
The next route depends on the type of debt and complaint. It may involve the creditor’s complaints process, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, a court or an industry body. Continue dealing with any live notice or court deadline while a complaint is considered.
An approved IVA may affect enforcement for an included qualifying debt, but it does not cover every liability or guarantee reversal of earlier fees or controlled-goods steps. Ask the insolvency practitioner to confirm the position in writing.