Enforcement company
South East Enforcement: Evictions, CRAR and Security
South East Enforcement works on two sides of a line that are easy to confuse: regulated enforcement, where an agent has legal power over goods or possession, and security, where an officer guards a site under Security Industry Authority regulation and has no such power.
- Bailiff powers or security powers?
- Why older letters said Haddon's Bailiffs
- Whether it can force entry or evict
- Rated Exceptional
- 40,000+ Supported
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What are South East contacting you about?
May not be suitable in all circumstances. Our initial advice is free, but fees may apply and your credit rating may be affected if you opt for a debt solution.
Company details
| Type | Enforcement company |
|---|---|
| Registered name | South East Enforcement |
Key facts
- Company number
- 06842488, ECB accredited Oct 2023
- Formerly
- Haddon's Bailiffs Ltd until 2016
- Focus
- Evictions, CRAR, forfeiture, security
- Not HCEOA
- Confirm who authorises any High Court writ
On this page 10 sections
Knowing which capacity a person at your property is acting in tells you what they can and cannot do, and it is the first thing to establish.
Who are South East Enforcement, and the Haddon's name
South East Enforcement Ltd is registered at Companies House under company number 06842488, incorporated on 10 March 2009, with its registered office at Damer House, Meadow Way, Wickford, Essex, SS12 9HA. It traded as Haddon's Bailiffs Ltd until 2016, so an older document under that name concerns the same company. It has been accredited by the Enforcement Conduct Board since October 2023. It is not a member of CIVEA or of the High Court Enforcement Officers Association.
Enforcement authority is not security authority
The firm advertises both certificated enforcement and manned security, including on the same sites, so it is worth being precise about the difference.
| Acting as | Where the power comes from | What that person can do |
|---|---|---|
| Certificated enforcement agent | A court order, warrant of control or CRAR notice under Schedule 12 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 | Take control of the debtor's goods, subject to the rules below |
| SIA-regulated security officer | A licence to guard property or premises | Guard a site; no statutory power to seize your goods or force you to pay |
If someone attends, ask which role they are in and for identification, and do not treat a security officer's presence as if it carried enforcement powers.
Is South East Enforcement a bailiff or a debt collector?
For its enforcement work it is a bailiff in the proper sense, acting on a court order rather than merely requesting payment, which is what separates it from a debt collection agency. The security side is different again and is not debt enforcement at all.
Evictions run on a possession order, not a fee scale
A large part of the firm's work is eviction of residential occupiers, squatters and travellers. This proceeds under a possession order or writ from the courts, and does not use the Schedule 12 goods fee scale. If you have an eviction notice, examine the underlying possession order with the court that granted it, because its notice periods and the ways to challenge or delay it are specific to possession law. An unlawful eviction, carried out without the correct order, is a serious matter and worth taking urgent advice on.
Commercial rent arrears and money judgments
For CRAR, the firm can act only against a business tenant under a written lease with at least seven days' net unpaid rent outstanding, tested at notice and again when goods are first controlled, under sections 74 and 77 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 and regulation 52 of the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013.
For a money judgment, be careful about which court. A County Court warrant of control can be executed directly by certificated agents. A High Court writ, by contrast, must be authorised by a named High Court Enforcement Officer, and South East Enforcement is not itself an HCEOA member, so if your case is a High Court writ, ask who the authorising officer is and confirm them on the HCEOA register before treating the writ as properly held. Under article 8 of the High Court and County Courts Jurisdiction Order 1991, a judgment under £600 cannot go to the High Court at all.
Can South East Enforcement force entry?
On a goods case at a private home, not on a first visit: entry has to be peaceable. Paragraph 18A of Schedule 12 permits reasonable force onto business premises the debtor trades from where the debt is not a traffic penalty, and paragraph 19A permits re-entry after a broken controlled goods agreement, with the force itself supplied by paragraph 17 only once one applies. A possession case is separate and carries its own authority to remove occupants. Only goods of the debtor can be taken under paragraph 10, and regulation 4 exempts essential household items, pets and assistance dogs, a disabled person's vehicle, and work equipment up to £1,350. See when bailiffs can force entry.
What a warrant of control or CRAR costs
Where the firm executes a warrant of control or a CRAR notice, it uses the standard certificated scale in force from 1 May 2026: £79 at compliance, £247 once an agent attends, and £116 on sale, with 7.5% added above £1,900. Eviction and security work do not run on this scale; each carries its own basis in the court order or the service contract. A Notice of Enforcement on a goods case must give at least 14 clear days, extendable to a minimum of 28 clear days unless the debt is a non-eligible business debt on a debt adviser's request.
Affordability, vulnerability and disputes
If you cannot pay a money judgment, consider a stay of execution under CPR rule 83.7, supported by a statement of your means. Tell the firm and the creditor in writing if illness, disability, bereavement or caring responsibilities apply. Send disputes about the underlying debt, lease or possession claim to the creditor, landlord or court, not the enforcement agent. National Debtline, StepChange and Citizens Advice help individuals free of charge, and anyone facing eviction should seek housing advice quickly.
Complaining about South East Enforcement
Use the firm's own complaints procedure, then the instructing creditor or landlord. Because the firm is ECB-accredited since October 2023, the Enforcement Conduct Board can consider an unresolved complaint about its enforcement conduct. A complaint about a security officer's conduct is a matter for the firm and, where licensing is engaged, the Security Industry Authority, which is a separate route from enforcement oversight. A challenge to a certificated agent's certificate goes to the issuing County Court.
What to do next
- Establish whether the person or letter concerns enforcement, eviction or security.
- If it mentions Haddon's Bailiffs, treat it as the same company under its old name.
- On a money judgment, confirm whether it is a County Court warrant or a High Court writ, and who authorises it.
- If it is an eviction, examine the possession order with the issuing court.
- Check any goods fees against the standard scale above.
- If you cannot pay or are vulnerable, act in writing and get advice now.
How a South East 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.
-
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 South East Enforcement a real firm?
Yes. South East Enforcement Ltd is registered at Companies House under company number 06842488, incorporated on 10 March 2009, with its registered office at Damer House, Meadow Way, Wickford, Essex, SS12 9HA. It was formerly named Haddon's Bailiffs Ltd until 2016 and is accredited by the Enforcement Conduct Board.
Why does an old letter say Haddon's Bailiffs?
Because Haddon's Bailiffs Ltd was the company's previous name until 2016. It is the same legal entity, company number 06842488, now trading as South East Enforcement Ltd.
Is the person at my door a bailiff or a security guard?
It can be either, because the firm does both. A certificated enforcement agent acting on a court order or CRAR has statutory powers over goods; a security officer under SIA regulation guarding a site does not have those powers. Ask which capacity they are in and for identification.
Can South East Enforcement evict me?
Only under a possession order or writ granted by a court, enforced through the possession process rather than the goods fee scale. Check the order itself with the issuing court.
Does South East Enforcement do High Court writs?
It advertises money-judgment enforcement, but it is not itself a member of the High Court Enforcement Officers Association, so any High Court writ must be authorised by a named HCEO. Ask who that officer is and verify them on the HCEOA register.
What can it charge on a warrant of control?
The standard certificated scale: £79 compliance, £247 enforcement, £116 sale, with 7.5% over £1,900. CRAR uses the same scale; evictions and security work do not.
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 1, as amended by SI 2026/366
legislation.gov.uk
Compliance stage £79.00 0%; Enforcement stage £247.00 7.5%; Sale or disposal stage £116.00 7.5% — percentage of sum to be recovered exceeding £1900.
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 83.7 (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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