Warrant of control: sending in the bailiffs

A warrant of control authorises a County Court Bailiff to attend the defendant's address and take control of goods to the value of the unpaid judgment debt. It is the County Court equivalent of the High Court's writ of control. Both derive their powers from Schedule 12 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 — the modern statutory framework that replaced the old common-law levy in distress.

At £83 it is the cheapest enforcement method. The fee is added to the judgment debt and recoverable from the defendant.

The threat of an enforcement agent attending often produces payment within days, even before any goods are touched.

County Court Bailiffs are stretched. First visits often take 6 to 12 weeks. Multiple visits may be needed.

Bailiffs cannot force entry to a domestic property on a first visit. They cannot remove tools of trade up to £1,350 in value, exempt household items, or anything not the debtor's.

Warrant of control: sending in the bailiffs

What a warrant of control does

In practice, bailiffs rarely seize and remove goods. The threat of attendance is usually enough. Once a bailiff visits, the debtor is asked either to pay in full, set up a payment plan secured by a "controlled goods agreement" (where listed goods remain in the debtor's possession but cannot be sold), or face the prospect of removal at a future visit. Most cases settle at this point.

The warrant is issued by the County Court Money Claims Centre at Salford and enforced by the County Court Bailiff section serving the defendant's postcode. You do not choose the bailiff — they are HMCTS employees, not private agents. This contrasts with the High Court route, where you instruct one of the dozen or so authorised HCEO firms directly.

How to apply, step by step

Strengths and limits

What a bailiff cannot take

Regulation 4 of the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 sets out a list of exempt items. Bailiffs cannot take items that the debtor or their family reasonably needs to satisfy basic domestic needs (clothing, bedding, furniture, basic kitchen equipment), tools of the debtor's trade up to £1,350 in value, items belonging to children, items necessary for the care of someone who is ill or vulnerable, or anything that does not belong to the debtor.

If the address is shared, goods belonging to a partner, lodger, or family member cannot be taken. The bailiff has to be satisfied on inspection that an item is the debtor's. This is why low-asset domestic enforcement often produces "nulla bona" — nothing to take.

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Enforcement overview

Attachment of earnings