More Work for HCEOs: The Solution for Civil Enforcement Case Backlog
March 5, 2021
Category: News
Our Solicitor Andrew Wilson, who is also Chairman of the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA), has published an article on how HCEOs could potentially help courts deal with the civil enforcement cases backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can read the full article here: https://www.hceoa.org.uk/2-content/237-helping-out-with-the-backlog
At Andrew Wilson & Co., we support Andrew’s suggestions for a "workable and sensible" solution, which includes:
- Permitting HCEOs to enforce debts below £600
- For possessions, making the process of transfer from County Court to High Court a little easier by making S42 (County Courts Act 1984) consent more of an administrative matter than one of judicial discretion, to speed up the process
- Giving creditors and landowners a choice —if they want to pay for speed and quality of service, they should be able to
Sarah Roscoe, Andrew Wilson & Co.'s Managing Director, believes it's important to not only help the courts but also our customers: "Almost every client I have worked with over the years would welcome HCEOs being able to enforce judgment debts of under £600 - we can act much quicker than County Court bailiffs and achieve better results."
It's a similar picture with property evictions, she adds: "Simplifying the transfer process to the High Court for possession would have a positive impact for landlords who often have to wait weeks, sometimes months, for the County Court Bailiff to deliver possession.
"Despite completing some evictions that meet the very specific circumstances for an exemption, the majority of our clients have been unable to obtain possession due to enforcement restrictions over the past year. This has been a particularly difficult year for landlords and their own financial situations, and I feel for them. If we can speed things up as soon as we can re-commence evictions, I am sure this will help a great deal.
"What Andrew is suggesting would make a significant difference not just for our company and our clients, but the entire enforcement industry. If you gave the creditor and property owner the choice to pay for speed and quality of service, I am confident they would choose to do so."
