Bailiffs could come under stricter regulations

 

April 2, 2008

According to a recent report bailiffs could be facing stricter regulations in the future, as the Ministry of Justice has announced plans to bring in standards and regulations to govern this profession in order to protect consumers from unscrupulous and unprofessional bailiffs. Many people that are struggling with debt and have missed repayments have found themselves falling victim to bailiff action, and the experience has sometimes been a terrifying one.

Officials from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau stated that they had heard of many cases where bailiffs had used nasty and bullying tactics in order to try and get money out of people. One official said: “We regularly see cases of bailiffs misrepresenting their powers, acting in an abusive or aggressive manner, pressurising people into paying lump sums they cannot afford, and imposing excessive fees that can drive already vulnerable people deeper into poverty and debt.”

She also spoke of one alleged case, where bailiffs were not only unscrupulous and unprofessional but also turned violent. She said: “Bailiffs visited a woman with restricted mobility who had penalty charge notice and council tax debts. The woman let the Bailiffs into her kitchen where they pushed her arm behind her back and pushed her against the kitchen wall, knocking over a hot kettle and breaking her arm.”

With the new regulations that the Ministry of Justice plans to bring in bailiffs would have to undergo more training and achieve relevant qualifications. They would also have to adhere to standards and regulations that were put into place. One industry official said: “People have a right to recover their debts, but no-one should have the right to threaten, bully or intimidate.”

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