Quite a brutal show now on ITV re: HCEO's totally different from our former guys no messing with this crew from the HCEO's office

This weeks show included several evictions and a Taser deployment, eviction involving pregnant lady. The Tasering situation was not helped by the HCEO standing there smirking either. Thanks to new rules involving the eviction of disabled people has started to come in to play.

The scary thing is as was stated 350 evictions almost daily or was it weekly? If you see how this is going in the press now it looks like things are going to get worse for some time to come.... Your thoughts please!! This is only a two part mini series BTW...

Also you get to see a live arrest for obstructing a HCEO as well see here at the 20 minute mark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6O-2nnOy2k

Watched the second parts this evening but watching the clip you linked I have two questions, in the voice over the guy states

the following:

1) they have more authority than bailiffs....

I thought bailiffs no longer existed and are now Enforcement Agents, this being the case then they should do their research better.

2) The voice over also states they possess more power than the police../..

Is this correct

Small points but just want clarification.

Regards to all

Thread moved to the appropriate forum.

This is what they see themselves as yes they are now Enforcement Agents (EA) A bailiff is still a term we all know so it will take time to get used to this.

Note to andyorch this would have been the right place for you but the content of this particular show has some very interesting points to discuss, and the points needed for discussion hopefully will still be picked up by regular posters in the original location. Due to the show giving wrong information through out.... The show the Enforcers is a continuation of a series of shows still listed in the bailiff section of CAG this follows on from parking mad and the other HCEO shows too, which are still in the main area of the threads.....

Well this is the place for TV program listings related to consumer problems...The Bailiff forum is for genuine assistance and advice to posters in need of advice....not discussions on TV programs.

Your free to discuss here with your fellow compadres

Regards

Andy

Thanks for letting me know this section was here I had no idea this was even here, so tomorrow I will spend more time looking at our great site and see just how many topics are covered on here....

Thanks for letting me know this section was here I had no idea this was even here, so tomorrow I will spend more time looking at our great site and see just how many topics are covered on here....

Absolutely....there is a lot more to CAG than being stuck in the Bailiff Forum...move around and assist posters:wink:

Watched the second parts this evening but watching the clip you linked I have two questions, in the voice over the guy states

the following:

 

1) they have more authority than bailiffs....

I thought bailiffs no longer existed and are now Enforcement Agents, this being the case then they should do their research better.

 

2) The voice over also states they possess more power than the police../..

Is this correct

 

Small points but just want clarification.

 

Regards to all

Yes I heard that and thought it was misleading. HCEOs operate using the same procedure as any other enforcment officer (schedule 12 of the tribunals courts and enforcment act).There are differences within that act in that they have an extra stage on the fees regulations which is chargeable at an increased rate. HCEOs can also charge VAT despite what you may hear elshere. They do not have any power to use force against the person, if the debtor resists the enforcment however they can inform the police who should attend and may arrest for obstructing the EA in the execution of the writ under section 68 of the act.

They also can force entry into business premises under the act, it was hinted at that they could also do this in domestic premises, they cannot, in that respect they have exactly the same powers as any other bailiff, and less than a bailiff enforcing a magistrates court fine.

HCEOs enforcing civil debts do not have the power of arrest and if any criminal charges are to be made they have to involve the police.

Think you will find the filming for this was done more than a year ago, possibly about the time the new rules came in.

Think you will find the filming for this was done more than a year ago, possibly about the time the new rules came in.

Ahh possibly.

I was rather uncomfortable to see that people were being "moved on" particularly from unused council property, when really the ground or premises were not being used for anything else, and in the case of the travelers where the places seem to be in the middle of nowhere and they did not seem to be doing any harm to anyone.

I know that it is not a simple matter and there are the rights of the people who own the property to take into consideration, it just seems unjust that in this day and age people are turfed out into the street and not given any option but to sleep in doorways, when the property just sits there doing nothing.

I found it interesting when the HCEO said that he tries not to think about what he is doing because if he did he wouldn't be able to sleep at night. It is a social problem which IMHO seems to have been ignored by successive governments over many years.

not same programme but has anyone watched, " Can't pay, take it away ? "

Yes there is a thread here regarding it

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?437023-Can-t-Pay-We-ll-Take-it-Away-TV-programme

I recognised the face of one of the hceo last night

Had a visit from him in the past 12 months

Nothing like what the tv shows he went away failed to collect and heard no more

I recognised the face of one of the hceo last night

Had a visit from him in the past 12 months

 

Nothing like what the tv shows he went away failed to collect and heard no more

90% of our cases are like that. If you refuse to pay and have no assets, then we are powerless.

90% of our cases are like that. If you refuse to pay and have no assets, then we are powerless.

I think that the realities are usually very different to what is depicted on these shows, many bailiffs and HCEO, or more correctly EA's are quite compassionate within the limitations of their roles when dealing with a delicate or situation of vulnerability.

The reality for a bailiff is different, I know because I have a close friend who is a bailiff. He goes out collecting council tax debt and other debts and sometimes ends up working from 7am in the morning to 8pm at night and not ending up getting a single collection - mostly because the paperwork given to him hasn't been completed properly by people further along the chain, or that the people he is looking for have moved on ages ago and again details aren't updated.

He's also contacted social services on several occasions where people are clearly vulnerable and haven't had support which they badly need, been verbally and physically abused and had threats made against his family.

There are probably more good bailiffs around than bad ones, yet it is the bad ones who end up on tv shows and in the press.

Yea, there are far far far more bailiffs on the road that are good rather than bad.

As always bad apples spoil the bunch.

Tv is for entertainment and must be viewed as such.

I think shows like this mostly show 'the good ones', they certainly would show someone acted totally unlawfully and its likely that an EO wouldn't act unlawfully if he knew he was being filmed.

I think shows like this mostly show 'the good ones', they certainly would show someone acted totally unlawfully and its likely that an EO wouldn't act unlawfully if he knew he was being filmed.

If that is the case then I had better refrain from posting about this lot.

If that is the case then I had better refrain from posting about this lot.

There are bad apples in every barrel.

What annoys me with these shows, apart from Evictions, is they cherry pick the cases, so rather than seeing them looting the household contents of a single parent not long made redundant on behalf of X County Council or a CCJ shifted up to High Court on behalf of Natwest or NPower over a debt that probably has lots of charges for example, it is always poor ordinary everyday people they are enforcing for, people who won employment tribunals, and so on.

Seeing terrified and sobbing kids watching as their games console is taken away because 1 adult game was amongst their games, on behalf of a nationally known banking corporation that helped cause the economic crisis simply doesn't fit the narrative these shows want to show.

Equally they will show people who have tried to "levy proof" their assets but have messed up and get caught out, but they don't show the people who understand the law and know exactly how to keep the EA away from their stuff.

In that episode of Can't Pay with the Cab Driver who was wrongfully named on a writ, and his cab seized, though Bohill and Pinner in fairness to them, did nothing wrong themselves, it felt like a very grudging bit of info at the end given to point out that the Claimant later had to pay the cab driver a small fortune for lost work etc. I don't think they gave a figure, but given how much Cabbies claim via "no win no fee" companies when someone is unfortuanate enough to hit them, I imagine the Claimant will be bloody careful next time he files for legal action!

Was I the only one who got the feeling that the Claimant very probably did it on purpose, thinking he would get away with it - I got the impression that the Brother was probably very unlikely to pay, or even have assets, and given the cabbie and his brother were Asian, they aren't going to be easy names to mix up - not like being after Jon Smith, and accidently putting his brother Jay Smith for example - the Claimant knew the innocent Brother was a Cabbie and thus would in theory have done anything to keep his cab, a very expensive bit of theory for the Claimant!

This Sue lass in the Enforcers, I wonder if she is intelligent enough to be in such a demanding role - "We have more right of entry than Police" err no. The Police have a right of entry via a Court Issued Warrant, an EA and a HCEO have a right of entry via a Court Issued Warrant, I would assume a HC Writ is another name for warrant, so no, she doesnt have more rights of entry, she needs a Warrant/Writ same as they do. And the Police can enter a property without Warrant if they believe a wanted suspect is inside, or a crime is taking place. Oh, and of course, for suspicion of Drugs Dealing "out of hours" a Duty Inspector can authorise Officers to force entry into the home of an arrested suspect to perform a drugs search. An EA/HCEO can't get authorisation from their duty manager to do same, so not actually as many powers at all!

But again, its the narrative of these shows on behalf of the Tories, I suspect, they want people to fear EA/HCEO's, to believe they have greater powers than they do.

Hate this show! Made me mad, which I hate being.

What annoys me with these shows, apart from Evictions, is they cherry pick the cases, so rather than seeing them looting the household contents of a single parent not long made redundant on behalf of X County Council or a CCJ shifted up to High Court on behalf of Natwest or NPower over a debt that probably has lots of charges for example, it is always poor ordinary everyday people they are enforcing for, people who won employment tribunals, and so on.

 

Seeing terrified and sobbing kids watching as their games console is taken away because 1 adult game was amongst their games, on behalf of a nationally known banking corporation that helped cause the economic crisis simply doesn't fit the narrative these shows want to show.

 

Equally they will show people who have tried to "levy proof" their assets but have messed up and get caught out, but they don't show the people who understand the law and know exactly how to keep the EA away from their stuff.

 

In that episode of Can't Pay with the Cab Driver who was wrongfully named on a writ, and his cab seized, though Bohill and Pinner in fairness to them, did nothing wrong themselves, it felt like a very grudging bit of info at the end given to point out that the Claimant later had to pay the cab driver a small fortune for lost work etc. I don't think they gave a figure, but given how much Cabbies claim via "no win no fee" companies when someone is unfortuanate enough to hit them, I imagine the Claimant will be bloody careful next time he files for legal action!

 

Was I the only one who got the feeling that the Claimant very probably did it on purpose, thinking he would get away with it - I got the impression that the Brother was probably very unlikely to pay, or even have assets, and given the cabbie and his brother were Asian, they aren't going to be easy names to mix up - not like being after Jon Smith, and accidently putting his brother Jay Smith for example - the Claimant knew the innocent Brother was a Cabbie and thus would in theory have done anything to keep his cab, a very expensive bit of theory for the Claimant!

 

This Sue lass in the Enforcers, I wonder if she is intelligent enough to be in such a demanding role - "We have more right of entry than Police" err no. The Police have a right of entry via a Court Issued Warrant, an EA and a HCEO have a right of entry via a Court Issued Warrant, I would assume a HC Writ is another name for warrant, so no, she doesnt have more rights of entry, she needs a Warrant/Writ same as they do. And the Police can enter a property without Warrant if they believe a wanted suspect is inside, or a crime is taking place. Oh, and of course, for suspicion of Drugs Dealing "out of hours" a Duty Inspector can authorise Officers to force entry into the home of an arrested suspect to perform a drugs search. An EA/HCEO can't get authorisation from their duty manager to do same, so not actually as many powers at all!

 

But again, its the narrative of these shows on behalf of the Tories, I suspect, they want people to fear EA/HCEO's, to believe they have greater powers than they do.

Yes i hate this show, now of course HCOs have exactly the same powers that any other bailiff has, except they can force entry to commercial premises, all bailiffs are constricted by the TCE no matter what they are enforcing.

What really makes me want to throw up are the crocodile tears they shed on throwing mother and children out on the street, if they feel so bad then they should get another job.

Yes i hate this show, now of course HCOs have exactly the same powers that any other bailiff has, except they can force entry to commercial premises, all bailiffs are constricted by the TCE no matter what they are enforcing.

 

What really makes me want to throw up are the crocodile tears they shed on throwing mother and children out on the street, if they feel so bad then they should get another job.

One day they will get a comeuppance.