Ultimate Guide to Jacobs Enforcement

Jacobs Enforcement Agents are Certified Bailiffs with the power to take action against anyone who has unpaid business rates, parking penalty fines, council tax, rent arrears and commercial rent arrears. They work with councils in England and Wales.

This is a company whose driving force is client retention. Bailiffs work towards targets and their eyes are always on the prize. They work for over 160 local authorities in England and Wales.

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Table of Content

1 Where are Jacobs based?
2 Is Jacobs a legitimate debt recovery company authorised and regulated in the UK?
3 What legal powers does Jacobs Enforcement have over me?
4 What fees will I have to pay a Jacobs bailiff?
- 4.1 Why is a third party contacting me about a debt?
- 4.2 How do I get in contact with Jacobs Enforcement agents?
5 How do debt collection agencies operate?
6 How to deal with debt collectors: debt advice
- 6.1 Jacobs Enforcement agents: get debt advisor help
- 6.2 Check if you owe a company money:
7 Before you pay seek IVA help!
8 Write Off Your Debts, Get IVA help and stop Jacobs Enforcement from taking action
9 List of Debt Collection Agencies UK

Where are Jacobs based?

This family-run business was created by Simon and Paula Jacobs over fifty-seven years ago. Their Head Office is in Merseyside, England.

Is Jacobs a legitimate debt recovery company authorised and regulated in the UK?

Jacobs bailiffs are legally approved by the County Court to take bailiff action against anyone with overdue and unpaid debt. The company is registered in England.

What legal powers does Jacobs Enforcement have over me?

The first stage to debt recovery is called compliance. A bailiff will contact you by email, letter, phone or SMS to negotiate an acceptable payment plan for arrears on an account. A client is given approximately seven days to respond to this request.

If the company does not receive a reply; the bailiff will take steps to recover the amount owed using powers of enforcement. At this stage a Jacobs Enforcement agent will make a home visit to either:

a) Collect payment in full

b) Enter the property (with your permission) to assess the value of the items in your home. Possessions will be removed at this stage; the enforcement agent will simply make a note of items that can be sold at auction to recover the amount owed to the creditor.

The debtor is given seven days to find the money owed and settle payment. If not, the third and final stage to recovering the debt is called the ‘Sale Stage’. At this point, a Jacobs Enforcement Officer (bailiff) will start taking control of goods (all items listed during the first visit).

What fees will I have to pay a Jacobs bailiff?

There are a number of fees you may have to pay to Jacobs Enforcement agents should they contact you. Currently, these are;

First Notice of Enforcement = £75
Enforcement Stage (first visit) = £235
Sale Stage (final stage) = An additional £110

The above fees are added to the original amount owed to creditors.

Why is a third party contacting me about a debt?

A lender has the right to appoint the services of an enforcement agent to recover monies owed. The original debt still belongs with the creditor but a third-party company such as Jacobs enforcement will use the information given to negotiate with you and explore avenues to settle the account.

How do I get in contact with Jacobs Enforcement agents?

If you have received a hand-delivered letter from Jacobs bailiffs, call the enforcement agent on the mobile number given. If he/she is unavailable, leave your name and number and you will they will call you back. This is your chance to speak to the agent and explain your circumstances.

If you remain calm and co-operative, you may be able to reach an agreement that stops further action. Enforcement agents have the right to decline any offer they feel is unreasonable. If you cannot meet their demands, you can get free help from a debt advisory service.

You can also write to Jacobs Bailiffs direct at:

6 Europa Boulevard

Birkenhead

Merseyside

England

CH41 4PE

Tel: 0345 601 2692

Visit the “Contact Us” page on their website and send a message via the “Access Contact Form” or via live chat.

Email: [email protected]

Opening/closing times:

Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm

Saturday – Sunday: 8:00 am – 1:00 pm (Jacobs are temporarily closed on Sundays)

How do debt collection agencies operate?

Companies such as Jacobs bailiffs operate in two ways:

1. They work with the original creditor (who still retains hold of the deb)t but assigns a debt recovery agency to act on their behalf.

2. They work with a debt they have bought from the original creditor when an account has gone into default. Jacobs Enforcement can then use stronger, more assertive means to settle the account.

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Why is a debt collection agency contacting you?

A creditor is someone you owe money to. If you fail to meet your financial obligation with them, they have the legal right to pass your account onto an enforcement agent.

What if I cannot afford to pay back a debt?

If you are struggling to make regular payments, there may be scope for setting up a payment plan. For this, you should prepare an income and expenditure form.

Can pay but won’t pay?

If you refuse to pay, Jacobs Enforcement agents will take enforcement action against you. At this stage, you can still refuse to let them into your home but it is strongly advised to keep all windows and doors locked as Jacobs Enforcement agents can legally enter your home this way.

With the exception of council tax arrears, parking fines and unpaid Magistrate Court fines a bailiff can return but once again, can only knock on the door. Continually ignoring that knock could incur fees which are added to your account.

If you refuse to open the door, you should remove any possessions outside your home. A bailiff can take property stowed in the garden.

If your debt is serious, Jacobs enforcement can obtain a warrant for entry.

How debt collectors and enforcement agents can ruin your life:

Council tax arrears are legally bound and as such, local authorities use third-party debt collectors and bailiffs to collect council tax payments which are seriously overdue.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs can use enforcement without a court order. A liability order gives a bailiff legal permission to seize goods when an account has fallen into serious arrears.

Other creditors can use enforcement but they must apply to the County Court. This is a costly route and is only taken when a substantial amount of money is owed.

Your treasured possessions in the hands of enforcement agents

If you have allowed a bailiff to take an inventory of goods in your home, you will remain at his mercy. At this stage, he can choose one of the following four options:

Letting possessions stay in your home: An acceptable payment must be reached and you will have to sign a ‘controlled goods agreement’. This means that the bailiff can return to seize those goods if payments stop.
Removing goods with immediate effect.
Clamping your vehicle.
Locking up your possessions. A bailiff could store your goods in a garage, loft or room.

How to deal with debt collectors: debt advice

All communication should be made by post; a paper trail keeps track of everything said.

Ask for a copy of the agreement made between you and the creditor before you pay a penny.

Ask for a copy of the amount owed to be sent through the post.

Do not use cash when making payments. A debit/credit card transaction is always recorded.

Settle the outstanding debt as soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the more you risk being threatened with court action or visits from enforcement and debt agencies.

The original lender can legally add interest to your account; scan through the small print (on the original agreement) to see if this is part of their policy.

When you have settled an account in full, ask the original creditor to mark this on your credit file. This will help you to gain future credit later down the line.

If you are hassled by Jacobs enforcement agents or other DCA’s, contact the original creditor and ask for the name of the company they are using to collect the debt.

Get help with your finances. If you have received a letter from Jacobs enforcement, seek help from the Citizens Advice Bureau. Their “Contact Us” page is packed with different ways to reach out for help. If you call ‘out of hours’ an agent may call you back. Help is also available via the National Debt Helpline. Alternatively; key in ‘enforcement jacobs’ in your favourite search engine to find out more about these Jacobs bailiffs (enforcement agents) in this company.

Jacobs Enforcement agents: get debt advisor help

Free debt advice is available online and over the phone. To speed up the service, make sure you have enough information about your financial situation. Tell them about your financial difficulties and discover ways to delay or stop bailiff enforcement.

Whether you are struggling with rent arrears, council tax debt or any other financial issues debt advice is readily available in England and Wales.

Check if you owe a company money:

Get a copy of your credit file from the following credit reference agencies:

Experian

Equifax

Transunion

You can get a paper copy of your file for a nominal fee of £2.

Bear in mind; council tax debt will not show up on your credit file. If you have missed a payment or two, ring your local council office, don’t wait for the bailiffs to show up on your door.

Before you pay seek IVA help!

Finding a large sum of money at short notice is not always possible. If you have been ignoring letters from debt collectors and bailiffs you should put an active debt plan in place such as an IVA. This can take up to six weeks to finalise so take immediate action. You could reduce your overall debt by up to 85%!

With an IVA you can look forward to a debt-free life in as little as five years. Imagine waving goodbye to all those debts that weighed you down.

All you need to do is make one regular affordable payment to your Insolvency Practioner (IP) for a maximum of five years.

With an IVA you will no longer fear the bailiffs as they cannot take action when this form of debt management is used. Jacobs enforcement agents will no longer be a part of your life, the will be gone for good. And, if your circumstances change and you struggle to meet the payments for your IVA, there is always someone at hand to discuss any worries.

The beauty of an IVA is that it is tailored to your precise needs.

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Write Off Your Debts, Get IVA help and stop Jacobs Enforcement from taking action

To qualify for an IVA, debts must exceed a minimum of £15,000. All interest and charges on the original debt will cease leaving you with one final figure to pay back. Assets such as your home or car are secure, they cannot be sold by a bailiff. An IVA gives you legal protection from your creditors which means that they cannot change the agreed terms.

List of Debt Collection Agencies UK

Here is a list of all the debt collectors in the UK.