Letter or visit from Penham Excel? Read this before you respond

Penham Excel is not a typical debt collector — they are a certificated enforcement business operating as bailiffs in England and Wales. Most of their work involves council-tax arrears, traffic-enforcement debts and magistrates’ court fines instructed by local authorities and courts.

If Penham Excel are involved, the debt has usually already been to court — most often the magistrates’ court for a council-tax liability order, or for an unpaid penalty charge notice. The rules governing what they can and cannot do are stricter and more specific than those for ordinary debt collectors.

Who Penham Excel are

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Penham Excel is a UK enforcement firm authorised to act as certificated bailiffs. Their enforcement work is dominated by:

• Council-tax arrears — instructed by local authorities after a liability order is granted in the magistrates’ court
• Traffic enforcement — penalty charge notices, congestion-charge debts, bus-lane fines and unpaid parking charges
• Magistrates’ court fines — including criminal fines, costs and compensation orders
• Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) for landlords with business tenants in arrears

Their agents are certificated bailiffs under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. Each agent must hold a current bailiff certificate and present identification on request.

What Penham Excel can and cannot legally do

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Bailiffs operate under the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 and the related fee schedule. Penham Excel can:

• Charge statutory fees at three stages: Compliance (£75), Enforcement (£235 + 7.5% of any debt above £1,500), and Sale (£110 + 7.5% of debt above £1,500)
• Send a Notice of Enforcement giving you at least seven clear days to settle or arrange a payment plan before any visit
• Visit your home during permitted hours (6am–9pm)
• 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

What bailiffs cannot do for the typical consumer debt:

• Force entry on a first visit for council tax, traffic and most civil debts
• Take exempt goods: tools of your trade up to £1,350, basic household items (cooker, fridge, washing machine, beds, basic furniture), or anything belonging to other people
• Visit between 9pm and 6am, or on Sundays and bank holidays in most circumstances
• Misrepresent themselves as police or other authorities
• Add fees outside the statutory schedule

What the seven-day Notice of Enforcement does for you

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Once Penham Excel is instructed, they must send a Notice of Enforcement giving you at least seven clear days before any bailiff visit. Use those seven days:

1. Pay or arrange to pay the underlying creditor — usually the council. Once the council confirms the debt is settled, the enforcement is withdrawn (although the £75 Compliance fee remains due).
2. Apply for a controlled goods agreement if you can afford instalments — you commit to a payment plan and the bailiff cannot remove goods while you keep up.
3. Apply to the issuing court to set aside or vary the underlying order if you have grounds.
4. Seek free, independent advice — Citizens Advice and StepChange both have specialist bailiff teams.

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

How Penham Excel’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 the fee is locked in:

• Stage 1 — Compliance (£75). Added when the case is allocated and the Notice of Enforcement is sent.
• Stage 2 — Enforcement (£235 + 7.5% of debt over £1,500). Added the moment a bailiff visits your address. On a £2,500 council-tax debt that’s £235 + £75 = £310 added.
• Stage 3 — Sale (£110 + 7.5% of debt over £1,500). Added when goods are removed for sale. On the same £2,500 debt that’s another £185.

Resolving the debt within the seven-day Compliance window costs £75. Letting it run to a visit costs hundreds more, and letting it run to removal can add £400 or more on top of the original arrears.

How Penham Excel tend to operate

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Penham Excel’s workflow is built for council and court-instructed volume:

• A templated Notice of Enforcement is sent quickly after instruction
• Phone, text and letter contact follows, using the data on the council’s records
• A doorstep visit is attempted at the end of the seven-day window
• Vehicles are the first target — clamping is fast and recovers a high proportion of debts
• Cases that fail at doorstep stage are escalated to specialist enforcement teams or returned to the local authority

Routes out

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• Pay the council directly — for council tax, this is usually the cleanest route. Once the council confirms payment, the enforcement is withdrawn.
• Negotiate a controlled goods agreement with payment instalments
• IVA — once approved, an IVA legally stops further enforcement on the included debt. Council-tax arrears can be included subject to specific rules; see How do I stop bailiff action?
• Debt Relief Order — for total debt under £50,000 with very low spare income
• Bankruptcy in severe situations — also stops enforcement on most included debts
• Application to set aside the underlying order if you were not properly served or the liability is wrong

What happens if you ignore Penham Excel

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Ignoring a Notice of Enforcement is the most expensive choice:

1. A bailiff visits — adds the £235 + 7.5% Enforcement fee
2. Vehicles are clamped if found on the public highway or driveway
3. If they gain peaceful entry, non-exempt goods are listed under a Controlled Goods Agreement
4. If you breach the agreement or they return after peaceful entry, they can force entry to remove the listed goods
5. Goods are removed for sale — adds the £110 + 7.5% Sale fee

For unpaid council tax, persistent non-payment can ultimately be returned to the magistrates’ court for a committal hearing, where the court considers whether non-payment was wilful.

Pitfalls when Penham Excel are at the door

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• Don’t open the door if you’re not ready to engage — peaceful entry strengthens their hand on a return visit
• Don’t sign a Controlled Goods Agreement without reading it — it lists goods notionally taken into control
• Don’t pay cash at the door — pay through the official Penham Excel portal and keep the receipt
• Don’t ignore the council’s reminder letters — by the time Penham Excel is instructed, the £75 Compliance fee is locked in

Frequently asked questions

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Are Penham Excel bailiffs? Yes. Penham Excel are certificated enforcement agents with specific powers under the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013.

Can Penham Excel force entry to my home? Generally no, on a first visit for council tax, traffic and most consumer debts. Force entry on a return visit is only possible after peaceful entry has been gained or a Controlled Goods Agreement has been signed and breached.

Will an IVA stop Penham Excel? An approved IVA stops enforcement on most included debts. Council-tax arrears and magistrates’ fines have specific treatment — the IP drafting your proposal will confirm what’s includable.

What fees can Penham Excel add? £75 Compliance, £235 + 7.5% Enforcement (above £1,500), and £110 + 7.5% Sale (above £1,500). These are set by the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014.

Related guides

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• Equita — major Marston Holdings bailiff brand
• Excel Civil Enforcement — major UK enforcement firm
• How do I stop bailiff action?
• Can bailiffs legally enter your home in the UK?
• How do I apply for an IVA?