County Court Bailiff or High Court Enforcement?
The process of gaining possession of your property involves multiple stages. The final step is to enforce a possession order via a bailiff appointment or high court enforcement officer. Whilst there have been delays in appointing county court bailiffs over the past few months, the courts are now booking bailiff appointments again. Understanding the distinctions between these two services can help you to make an informed choice about which to utilise.
County Court Bailiff
Once a possession order is granted, you have the option to appoint a county court bailiff to execute the order and physically evict a tenant. The process to instruct is as follows:
- Apply for a warrant for vacant possession of the property. This warrant is typically granted if you have a possession order in place.
- Get an appointment date for the bailiff to attend. Once the warrant for vacant possession is granted, the court will send you a notice of the bailiff appointment. You or your legal representative must then return the document signed to confirm the date of the appointment.
- Make arrangements for the date. You will then need to ensure you have hired a locksmith to attend the property on the date of the appointment in order to change the locks post-eviction. You or your agent must also attend with the locksmith. It is a good idea to ensure you arrive 15-20 minutes early to ensure you do not miss the bailiff.
- Gain possession. On the scheduled date, the bailiff will attend and remove the tenant. Your locksmith will then change the locks, providing you with vacant possession of your property.
The timeframe from applying for a warrant to gaining possession is roughly four to eight weeks, depending on court and availability.
High Court Enforcement
Alternatively, you can opt for high court enforcement, provided you obtain permission to transfer the order to the high court. If this permission is granted, you have the option to quickly regain possession by obtaining a writ for possession from the high court. It is essential to note that high court enforcement is costlier, with expenses varying based on specific requirements; however, the advantage of this approach is the shorter overall timeframe.
If this is not granted, you will have to wait for a county court bailiff.
High Court Enforcement
Both county court bailiffs and high court enforcement serve as effective methods for enforcing possession orders. Woodstock Legal Services has an experienced team who support The Lettings Hub arrange both types of enforcement for our customers with appropriate rent and legal protections in place. For more information speak to our team today on 0345 241 0768.
