High Court Enforcement Group Ltd (HCE Group) acquires The Sheriffs Office

[Bailiff Advice]

The following press article features on SCOOP this morning:

 

http://www.ccrmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14497&Itemid=33

 

 

High Court Enforcement Group (HCE Group), the largest independent and privately owned high court enforcement company in England and Wales, is proud to announce the acquisition of The Sheriffs Office, with effect from 31st January 2016.

 

Following the acquisition, both businesses will continue to operate as separate legal entities. The combined experience and expertise in both High Court and specialist areas of enforcement within both companies, will prove a valuable and unique resource for all existing and new clients.

 

The two firms will be building on their combined strengths in a number of areas, including client service delivery, compliance and governance, specialist enforcement services, IT infrastructure and geographical coverage by field-based enforcement agents.

 

As a whole, this will see the Group, including their judicial services firm Excel Civil Enforcement, become the largest High Court enforcement company.

 

Martin Leyshon, Group Director of High Court Enforcement Group and Chairman of the High Court Enforcement Officers Association commented: “The acquisition of The Sheriffs Office is a very exciting move for HCE Group. The businesses naturally complement each other and together will give clients a huge amount of choice in terms of services in the enforcement market. 2016 is going to be an exciting year for us, where we will be building on an already solid platform. It’s a great fit."

 

Commenting on the announcement, David Carter, Chief Executive at The Sheriffs Office, said: “The Sheriffs Office is hugely excited to form part of the largest High Court enforcement company in the UK. The breadth of experience and infrastructure this acquisition brings will allow us to provide our clients with unparalleled levels of service and support right across the enforcement spectrum. 2015 was an excellent year for the Sheriffs Office, where we launched a number of specialist services and entered new markets, all leading to growth in all sectors of our business.”

[brassnecked]

Wonder whether this will make things worse for debtors, and is a takeover based on the assumption HCEO's will be getting their hands on CCA and other miscellaneous non High Court?debt soon.

[mikeymack2002]

Welcome the super bailiff company, just needs them to be able to get the CCA debts now....

[brassnecked]

Welcome the super bailiff company, just needs them to be able to get the CCA debts now....

Could turn quite nasty all round. Imagine Brighthouse sending the Sheriffs?

[mikeymack2002]

Or the LA for a CT debt of 4p. Yes 4p see the rs feeds for this one.

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?459279-Court-threat-for-4p-unpaid-council-tax&p=4853882#post4853882

[brassnecked]

Or the LA for a CT debt of 4p. Yes 4p see the rs feeds for this one...

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?459279-Court-threat-for-4p-unpaid-council-tax&p=4853882#post4853882

 

Councils have sought and obtained a LO for a debt of a penny and escalated it to bailiffs making the debt 20,000 times greater with fees etc. I think NELC beloved (Not) of outlawla was one such council.

 

If the software used by a Revenue Dept is programmed to act on a negative balance it will trip the letter and initiate the summons even for 0.001 pence, unless an if/and statement in the code prevents summons for under say £25.

[Bailiff Advice]

Wonder whether this will make things worse for debtors, and is a takeover based on the assumption HCEO's will be getting their hands on CCA and other miscellaneous non High Court?debt soon.

 

I would disagree. In fact, the merger does make a lot of sense.

 

The Sheriffs Office have been based for many years in Croydon (South East London) with HCE Group being based around Wales and the surrounding areas. Excel Enforcement Ltd are also based in Wales. Creditors looking to use a company to enforce writs on their behalf will no doubt look at the geographical base of the company and very likely, will consider that if the debtor's address is in London or the south coast that HCE Group (or Excel) would probably not have officers in that part of the country.

 

As the press report confirms, each company (HCE Group, Excel Civil Enforcement and The Sheriffs Office) will continue to trade under the same names and from the same offices.

[brassnecked]

Wonder if Capita were eying up the constituents of the new group? Capita has too many fingers in too many pies, and their Parking Eye PPC is doing itself no favours in the opinion of the public.

[caledfwlch]

Could turn quite nasty all round. Imagine Brighthouse sending the Sheriffs?

 

Don't see what the point would be since they would not have any greater powers than an EA, nor could they charge any more than one.