Letter or visit from CES? Read this before you respond

Court Enforcement Services — usually trading as CES — are not a typical debt collector and not a county-court bailiff. They are High Court Enforcement Officers (HCEOs), acting on writs of control transferred up from the county court. The distinction matters: HCEO fees are different, the timeline tends to be shorter, and the powers are calibrated to a separate jurisdiction.

This page covers who CES are, what bailiffs can and cannot legally do under current Taking Control of Goods Regulations, the seven-day Notice of Enforcement period that protects you, and how an IVA interacts with their enforcement.

Who Court Enforcement Services are

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CES is a UK enforcement business authorised by the Senior Master of the King’s Bench Division to act as High Court Enforcement Officers under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. Their work covers:

• High Court Writs of Control — for CCJs that have been transferred up from the County Court (£600+ and not regulated under the Consumer Credit Act)
• Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) — for landlords against business tenants
• Forfeiture of commercial leases — recovery of possession on behalf of commercial landlords
• High Court possession orders — eviction enforcement under writs of possession

CES officers are certificated under the TCE Act 2007. They must hold a current bailiff certificate and identification documents that they must show on request.

What CES can and cannot legally do

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HCEOs operate under the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 and the related fee schedule. CES can:

• Charge statutory High Court fees at three stages: Compliance (£75), Enforcement (£190 + 7.5% of any debt above £1,000), and Sale (£495 + 7.5% of debt above £1,000). Note the higher Sale fee compared with county-court bailiff fees.
• Send a Notice of Enforcement giving you at least seven clear days to settle the debt or arrange a Controlled Goods Agreement before officer action begins
• Visit your home or business during permitted hours (6am–9pm, with restricted hours on Sundays and bank holidays)
• Take goods that are not exempt, but only after entering peacefully or with permission
• Clamp or remove vehicles parked on the public highway or your driveway — vehicles are a primary target

What HCEOs cannot do for the typical consumer debt under a writ of control:

• Force entry to your home on a first visit — they need peaceful entry. Force entry is only possible on a second visit if they have already entered peacefully or you’ve signed a Controlled Goods Agreement that has been breached
• Take exempt goods: tools of your trade up to £1,350 in value, basic household items (cooker, fridge, washing machine, beds, basic furniture), goods belonging to other people
• Visit between 9pm and 6am or on a Sunday or bank holiday in most circumstances
• Misrepresent themselves as police or other authorities
• Enforce a writ for a debt regulated under the Consumer Credit Act — those stay in the county court

What the seven-day Notice of Enforcement does for you

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Once CES is instructed under a writ of control, they must send a Notice of Enforcement giving you at least seven clear days before any officer visit. Use those seven days:

1. Pay or arrange to pay the underlying debt directly with the original creditor or via CES — once paid, enforcement falls away (although the Compliance fee is still due)
2. Apply for a Controlled Goods Agreement if you can afford instalments — you commit to a payment plan and the officer cannot remove goods while you keep up payments
3. Apply to the court for a stay of execution if you have grounds — for example, payment had already been made, the underlying judgment is wrong, or you were not properly served
4. Seek free, independent advice — Citizens Advice and StepChange both have specialist bailiff advice teams

If a CES officer is at your door before the seven-day period has elapsed, you can refuse entry and the visit is invalid for fee purposes.

How CES’s three fee stages work

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Each stage adds a fixed sum to your debt — and once you cross into a stage, that fee is locked in:

• Stage 1 — Compliance (£75). Added when the writ is allocated and the Notice of Enforcement is sent
• Stage 2 — Enforcement (£190 + 7.5% of any debt over £1,000). Added the moment an officer visits your address
• Stage 3 — Sale (£495 + 7.5% of any debt over £1,000). Added when goods are removed for sale — this is substantially higher than the equivalent county-court bailiff Sale fee

Timing matters. Resolving the debt within the seven-day Compliance window costs £75. Letting it run to a visit adds hundreds. Letting it run to removal can add over £500 plus 7.5% on a £5,000 debt — that’s nearly £900 in Sale fees alone.

Routes out

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• Pay the underlying creditor or CES directly — fastest route to release
• Negotiate a Controlled Goods Agreement with payment instalments
• Apply to court for a stay of execution if grounds exist — for example, if you were not served the original claim
• IVA — once approved, an IVA legally stops further enforcement on the included debt. See How do I stop bailiff action? for the longer answer
• Bankruptcy in severe situations — also stops enforcement on most included debts

What happens if you ignore CES

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Ignoring a Notice of Enforcement is the most expensive choice available. After the seven days lapse:

1. An officer visits — adds the Enforcement fee (£190 + 7.5% over £1,000)
2. They look for vehicles on the public highway or driveway — clamping is fast and visible
3. If they gain peaceful entry, non-exempt goods are listed under a Controlled Goods Agreement
4. If you breach the agreement (or they have already entered peacefully and return), they can force entry to remove already-listed goods
5. Goods are removed for sale — adds the Sale fee (£495 + 7.5% over £1,000)

By the time goods are removed, the original debt has typically grown by £760+ in High Court fees alone — significantly more than under a county-court warrant. That is the cost of inaction.

Pitfalls when CES are at the door

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• Don’t open the door if you are not ready to engage — once an officer has gained peaceful entry, they have additional powers including, on a return visit, the right to force entry to remove already-listed goods
• Don’t sign anything without reading it — a Controlled Goods Agreement signs over goods
• Don’t move vehicles into a private garage in panic — driveway vehicles are a target, but garage parking is more protected
• Don’t pay cash to an officer at the door — pay through the official CES payment channel and keep the receipt; impersonation incidents have happened
• Don’t assume High Court fees are the same as county-court fees — the Sale fee in particular is several times higher

Frequently asked questions

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Are CES debt collectors or bailiffs? Neither, exactly — they are High Court Enforcement Officers acting on writs of control. Their powers and fees are set by the TCE Act 2007 and the Taking Control of Goods Regulations.

Can CES force entry to my home? Generally no, on a first visit, for a typical consumer debt. Force entry is only possible on a second visit after peaceful entry has already been gained or after a Controlled Goods Agreement has been breached.

Will an IVA stop CES action? An approved IVA stops enforcement on most included debts. Magistrates’ court fines and council-tax liability orders have specific treatment — discuss the position with the Insolvency Practitioner.

CES are clamping my car — what now? Pay the debt or call CES to arrange release. The vehicle can be removed and sold within seven days if the debt is not resolved. Removal triggers the substantial Sale fee.

Related guides

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• Equita — county-court and CRAR enforcement
• How do I stop bailiff action?
• Can bailiffs legally enter your home in the UK?
• Can you stop a bailiff eviction?
• Do police turn up with bailiffs?