Enforcement company
Iridium Enforcement: High Court Writs and Evictions
Iridium Enforcement is a High Court and property enforcement firm, and the most useful thing to work out from its letter is which kind of writ sits behind it. A writ of control is about money and takes goods. A writ of possession is about property and requires someone to give up premises.
- Writ of control or writ of possession?
- Why older letters said B and M Recovery
- Whether Iridium can force entry
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Company details
| Type | Enforcement company |
|---|---|
| Registered name | Iridium Enforcement |
Key facts
- Company number
- 10127025, ECB accredited Nov 2025
- Formerly
- B and M Recovery Ltd until Sep 2022
- HCEOA
- Member; High Court writs and possession
- Transfer
- A judgment usually needs to exceed £600
On this page 11 sections
The two look similar on a letterhead but run under different rules, and confusing them leads to the wrong advice.
Who are Iridium Enforcement, and why the old name?
Iridium Enforcement Ltd is registered at Companies House under company number 10127025, incorporated on 15 April 2016. It was previously named B and M Recovery Ltd and changed to its current name on 30 September 2022, so an older letter or judgment referring to B and M Recovery concerns the same company. Its registered office is in Enfield (84a Lancaster Road, EN2 0BX), and it gives a principal London address at 124 City Road, EC1V 2NX.
The firm is a member of the High Court Enforcement Officers Association and has been accredited by the Enforcement Conduct Board since November 2025, one of the more recent additions to that register. Its own material describes certificated agents working under the instruction of its High Court Enforcement Officer, though it does not publish that officer's name.
Is Iridium a bailiff or a debt collector?
An enforcement operator, not a collector. It acts under High Court writs, CRAR notices and possession orders, each of which carries authority a debt collection agency simply does not have. If you are unsure whether a contact is enforcement or collection, our guide to bailiffs and debt collectors shows how to tell.
Writ of control: taking goods for a money judgment
Most High Court money enforcement is a writ of control, usually a County Court Judgment transferred up. Under article 8 of the High Court and County Courts Jurisdiction Order 1991, a judgment under £600 stays in the County Court, one of £5,000 or more must be enforced in the High Court, and a judgment on a Consumer Credit Act regulated agreement cannot be transferred at all whatever its size. If a regulated-credit debt has somehow reached you as a High Court writ, that origin is worth checking. Our High Court enforcement officers guide explains the writ-of-control process.
Writ of possession: giving up land or premises
A writ of possession is a different animal. It enforces a court order that someone give up occupation of land or property, and it does not follow the goods fee scale or the taking-control-of-goods entry rules at all. Iridium's eviction and squatter-removal work runs through this route or the equivalent county court warrant. If you have received a possession-based notice, examine the possession order and the writ with the court that issued them, because the timescales and the ways to challenge or delay them are specific to possession proceedings and quite unlike a money case.
Commercial rent arrears (CRAR)
Where the case is CRAR, it can only be used against a business tenant holding under a lease evidenced in writing, and only where at least seven days' net unpaid rent is outstanding when notice is given and again when goods are first taken control of, under sections 74 and 77 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 with regulation 52 of the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013. A residential tenant cannot be pursued through CRAR.
The officer who has to authorise the writ
A High Court writ can only be executed under the authority of a named High Court Enforcement Officer, and the agents at your door act under that officer. Because Iridium does not publish the individual, ask the firm to name the authorising HCEO and confirm them on the HCEOA's public register before you accept the writ as properly authorised. Where you cannot pay, or enforcing now would be unfair, a stay of execution under CPR rule 83.7 is the route, and the court's permission to issue the writ may be required under CPR rule 83.2 after six years or a change of party.
Can Iridium force entry?
For an ordinary writ of control at a private home on a first visit, no: entry must be peaceable. The exceptions on a goods case are the familiar narrow ones under paragraph 17 of Schedule 12: business premises the debtor trades from, where the debt is not a traffic penalty, under paragraph 18A, and re-entry after a broken controlled goods agreement under paragraph 19A. A writ of possession is not a goods case and carries its own authority to remove occupants, which is why identifying the writ type matters so much. Only goods of the debtor can be taken under paragraph 10, and regulation 4 exempts essentials, pets and assistance dogs, a disabled person's vehicle, and work tools up to £1,350. See when bailiffs can force entry.
What a writ of control costs
On the goods side, Iridium charges the High Court scale from 1 May 2026: £79 compliance, £200 plus 7.5% over £1,200 at the first enforcement stage, £520 at a second stage, and £550 plus 7.5% over £1,200 on sale. Note the £1,200 threshold, lower than the £1,900 used for county-court-only enforcement. Possession and CRAR do not use this scale.
Notice, affordability and vulnerability
On a goods case a Notice of Enforcement must give at least 14 clear days, extendable to a minimum of 28 clear days on a recognised debt adviser's request unless the debt is a non-eligible business debt. If you cannot pay, prepare figures and consider a stay of execution; if illness, disability, bereavement or caring responsibilities apply, tell Iridium and the creditor in writing. Free help is available from National Debtline, StepChange and Citizens Advice, with specialist property or insolvency advice for a business or a possession case.
Complaining about Iridium
Use the firm's own complaints procedure first, then the creditor or landlord who instructed it. Because Iridium is ECB-accredited since November 2025, the Enforcement Conduct Board can consider an unresolved complaint about its enforcement conduct, and the conduct of the authorising HCEO can be raised with the HCEOA. A defective-instrument or breach remedy under paragraph 66 of Schedule 12 is a separate court claim.
What to do next
- Identify whether your writ is control, possession or CRAR; the rules diverge sharply.
- If it mentions B and M Recovery, treat it as the same company under the old name.
- On a writ of control, check the £600 and £5,000 thresholds and the £1,200 fee threshold.
- Ask Iridium to name the authorising HCEO and verify them on the HCEOA register.
- If it is possession, examine the order and writ with the issuing court.
- If you cannot pay or are vulnerable, act in writing and get advice now.
How a Iridium Enforcement debt could reach bailiffs
A debt collector cannot send bailiffs. Only a court can, and only after a judgment. These are the stages in between, and each one is easier to deal with than the one after it.
-
A collector asks you to pay
No court is involved yet. A debt collection agency has no enforcement powers at all, it cannot enter your home, take goods or add enforcement fees. This stage can last a long time.
-
A County Court claim is issued
The creditor, or the company that bought the debt, asks the court to decide you owe the money. This is the stage where the deadlines start to matter, and where a defence such as limitation has to be raised.
-
Judgment is entered (a CCJ)
If you do not respond in time, judgment is entered by default, without anyone examining whether the debt was correct. A CCJ stays on your credit file for six years.
-
A warrant or writ of control is issued
An unpaid judgment can be enforced. This is the document that authorises enforcement agents to attend, and the point at which a debt collection matter becomes a bailiff matter.
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Enforcement agents can attend you are here
Now there are real powers: peaceable entry, taking control of goods, and statutory fees of £79, £247 and £116 at defined stages. This is the stage the earlier ones exist to avoid.
Which bailiffs would actually attend
That depends on the amount and on what kind of debt it is, and the rule is set by article 8 of the High Court and County Courts Jurisdiction Order 1991 rather than by the creditor's preference.
- Under £600, the judgment can only be enforced in the county court, so county court bailiffs attend under a warrant of control.
- £5,000 or more, and not a regulated credit agreement, it can only be enforced in the High Court, so High Court enforcement officers attend under a writ of control. They charge on a different and higher fee scale.
- Anything else, including a regulated credit agreement of any size, may be enforced in either court.
Whether your agreement is regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 changes which court can enforce it. Credit cards, loans, overdrafts and catalogue accounts usually are; council tax, traffic penalties and court fines are not, and those reach enforcement by a different route entirely.
If several debts are enforced together
This happens often, particularly where one company has bought several of your accounts, or where a council has more than one liability order against you. The enforcement agent is instructed on all of them at once and deals with them on the same visit.
The fees do not simply multiply, and this is where people are most often overcharged. Where the agent is instructed under more than one enforcement power against the same debtor, and those powers can reasonably be exercised at the same time, regulation 11 of the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 splits the treatment:
- The £79 compliance fee may be charged for each enforcement power. Several of these is correct.
- The £247 enforcement fee and the £116 sale fee may each be charged only once, however many debts are involved.
So three debts enforced together should cost three compliance fees and one enforcement fee, £484, rather than three separate lots of £326. If you have been charged an enforcement fee for each debt on a single visit, that is worth challenging in writing.
The saving depends on the debts genuinely being enforceable at the same time. Where an agent legitimately attends on separate occasions for unrelated matters, separate fees can apply, so it is worth checking the dates and references on the fee breakdown before challenging it.
Not sure which one is contacting you? How to tell from the paperwork
Frequently asked questions
Is Iridium Enforcement a genuine High Court firm?
Yes. Iridium Enforcement Ltd is registered at Companies House under company number 10127025, was formerly named B and M Recovery Ltd until September 2022, and is a member of the High Court Enforcement Officers Association. It has also been accredited by the Enforcement Conduct Board since November 2025.
Why does an older document say B and M Recovery?
Because that was the company's previous registered name until 30 September 2022. It is the same legal entity, company number 10127025, now trading as Iridium Enforcement Ltd.
What is the difference between a writ of control and a writ of possession?
A writ of control is about taking control of goods to pay a money judgment, and follows the High Court fee scale. A writ of possession is about giving up land or premises, and runs its own process; it is not a debt fee-scale case.
Can Iridium force entry to my home?
Not for an ordinary writ of control at a private home on a first visit; entry there must be peaceable. Possession and business-premises situations are different, so the answer depends on which kind of writ is involved.
What does Iridium charge on a High Court writ of control?
The High Court scale: £79 compliance, £200 plus 7.5% over £1,200 at the first enforcement stage, £520 at a second stage, and £550 plus 7.5% over £1,200 on sale, for instructions from 1 May 2026.
Who authorises an Iridium writ?
A named High Court Enforcement Officer must authorise the execution of any High Court writ. Iridium does not publish the individual officer, so ask the firm to name them and confirm them on the HCEOA register.
Sources
- Companies House register GOV.UK Checked 2026-08-13
-
Enforcement Conduct Board
Enforcement Conduct Board
independent oversight of the enforcement industry (bailiffs) to ensure that all those who are subject to enforcement action in England & Wales are fairly treated.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, Schedule 12, paragraph 10
legislation.gov.uk
An enforcement agent may take control of goods only if they are goods of the debtor.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, Schedule 12, paragraph 17
legislation.gov.uk
Where paragraph 18, 18A, 19 or 19A applies, an enforcement agent may if necessary use reasonable force to enter premises or to do anything for which the entry is authorised.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, Schedule 12, paragraph 18A
legislation.gov.uk
This paragraph applies if these conditions are met— (a) the enforcement agent has power to enter the premises under paragraph 14; (b) the enforcement agent reasonably believes that the debtor carries on a trade or business on the premises; (c) the enforcement agent is acting under a writ or warrant of control issued for the purpose of recovering a sum payable under a High Court or county court judgment; (d) the sum so payable is not a traffic contravention debt.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, Schedule 12, paragraph 19A
legislation.gov.uk
This paragraph applies if these conditions are met— (a) the enforcement agent has power to enter the premises under paragraph 16; (b) the enforcement agent has taken control of the goods by entering into a controlled goods agreement with the debtor; (c) the debtor has failed to comply with any provision of the controlled goods agreement.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013, regulation 4
legislation.gov.uk
items or equipment (for example, tools, books, telephones, computer equipment and vehicles) which are necessary for use personally by the debtor in the debtor's employment, business, trade, profession, study or education, except that in any case the aggregate value of the items or equipment to which this exemption is applied shall not exceed £1,350… assistance dogs (including guide dogs, hearing dogs and dogs for disabled persons), sheep dogs, guard dogs or domestic pets; a vehicle on which a valid disabled person's badge is displayed.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, Schedule 1 Table 2, as amended by SI 2026/366
legislation.gov.uk
Compliance stage £79.00 0%; First enforcement stage £200.00 7.5%; Second enforcement stage £520.00 0%; Sale or disposal stage £550.00 7.5% — percentage of sum to be recovered exceeding £1200.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013, regulation 6, as amended by SI 2026/366
legislation.gov.uk
notice of enforcement must be given to the debtor not less than 14 clear days before the enforcement agent takes control of the debtor's goods. Where, before the expiration of the period of notice indicated in the notice of enforcement, a request is submitted by a debt advice provider on behalf of the debtor, the minimum period of notice referred to in paragraph (1) must be extended to a minimum of 28 clear days before the enforcement agent takes control of the goods. The extension under paragraph (1A) does not apply where the debt is non-eligible business debt. Where the period referred to in paragraph (1) or (1A) includes a Sunday, bank holiday, Good Friday or Christmas Day that day does not count in calculating the period.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, section 74 (CRAR: lease)
legislation.gov.uk
"Lease" means a tenancy in law or in equity, including a tenancy at will, but not including a tenancy at sufferance… A lease must be evidenced in writing.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, section 77 (CRAR: the minimum amount)
legislation.gov.uk
CRAR is exercisable only if the net unpaid rent is at least the minimum amount immediately before each of these— (a) the time when notice of enforcement is given; (b) the first time that goods are taken control of after that notice. The minimum amount is to be calculated in accordance with regulations.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013, regulation 52 (minimum amount of net unpaid rent)
legislation.gov.uk
the minimum amount of net unpaid rent for the purposes of section 77(3) of the Act is an amount equal to 7 days' rent.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
High Court and County Courts Jurisdiction Order 1991, article 8 (as amended)
legislation.gov.uk
shall be enforced only in the High Court where the sum which it is sought to enforce is £5,000 or more; shall be enforced only in the County Court where the sum which it is sought to enforce is less than £600; in any other case may be enforced in either the High Court or the County Court. A judgment or order of the County Court for the payment of a sum of money in proceedings arising out of an agreement regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 shall be enforced only in the County Court.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Civil Procedure Rules, rule 83.2 (permission to issue certain writs or warrants)
legislation.gov.uk
A relevant writ or warrant must not be issued without the permission of the court where— (a) six years or more have elapsed since the date of the judgment or order; (b) any change has taken place, whether by death or otherwise, in the parties— (i) entitled to enforce the judgment or order; or (ii) liable to have it enforced against them.
Checked 2026-08-17 -
Civil Procedure Rules, rule 83.7 (writs of control and warrants — power to stay execution or grant other relief)
legislation.gov.uk
the debtor or other party liable to execution of a writ of control or a warrant may apply to the court for a stay of execution… Where the application for a stay of execution is made on the grounds of the applicant's inability to pay, the witness statement required by paragraph (6)(b) must disclose the debtor's means. If the court is satisfied that— (a) there are special circumstances which render it inexpedient to enforce the judgment or order; or (b) the applicant is unable from any reason to pay the money, then… the court may by order stay the execution of the judgment or order, either absolutely or for such period and subject to such conditions as the court thinks fit.
Checked 2026-08-17
Next step
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