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Court Fines and 'Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control...Official response from HMCTS

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  • Court Fines and 'Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control...Official response from HMCTS

    A most common enquiries of forums relates to the subject of Magistrate Court fines and whether or not the bailiff/enforcement agent is required to have in his possession a copy of the distress warrant/warrant of control.


    In almost all cases; the confusion arises from incorrect (and misleading) information on a small number of websites heavily connected to the Freeman on the Land or other such movements. These websites frequently ‘claim’ that companies enforcing magistrate court fines create ‘doctored or counterfeit’ warrants and debtors are encouraged by the websites to pay a fee to download a template letter which they are told to send to various Magistrates Courts around the country.


    In November a debtor wrote to HMCTS regarding this subject. He received a lengthly response from HMCTS them which he posted on a forum in November.


    The following is taken from the HMCTS reply. For ease of reference, in post number two 2 I have broken down their response into separate headings.


    In this post I have extracted from HMCTS's response the relevant case law:
    "It is not necessary to generate a distress warrant at the time of its issue; the relevant details can be produced (and provided to the debtor) subsequent to its issue (or indeed subsequent to its execution) but such relevant details should be recorded at the time of issue"


    "Pursuant to section 125A of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 where a warrant (whether a warrant of arrest, commitment, detention or distress) is executed by a civilian enforcement officer, a written statement indicating the name of the officer, the authority by which he is employed and that he is authorised in the prescribed manner to execute warrants, must, on demand of the person arrested, committed or detained or against whom distress is levied, be shown to him as soon as practicable. Section 125B applies to approved enforcement agencies and makes similar provision".


    "Part 52 of the Criminal Procedure Rules 2010, rules 52.7 and 52.8, set out the procedure for the execution of magistrates’ court distress warrants. The distress warrant must identify the person to whom it is directed, the person against whom it was issued, the sum for which it was issued and the reason that sum is owed, the court or fines officer who issued it and the court office for the court or fines officer who issued it (rule 52.7(1)".



    "A person to whom a warrant is directed must record on it the date and time at which it is received (rule 52.7(2)). Pursuant to rule 52.8(2), the person executing the warrant must explain to the debtor the order or decision that the warrant was issued to enforce, the sum for which the warrant was issued and any extra sum payable in connection with the execution of the warrant. In addition, if he has the warrant with him, he must show it to the debtor or if the debtor asks, arrange for the debtor to see the warrant, if that person does not have it and show the debtor the written statement of that person’s authority required by section 125A or 125B of the 1980 Act
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  • #2
    Re: Court Fines and 'Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control...Official response from H

    The following is taken from the HMCTS reply.


    For ease of reference, I have broken down their response into separate headings:


    When is a distress warrant/warrant of control 'generated'?
    "It is not necessary to generate a distress warrant at the time of its issue; the relevant details can be produced (and provided to the debtor) subsequent to its issue (or indeed subsequent to its execution) but such relevant details should be recorded at the time of issue"


    Who issues the distress warrant/warrant of control?
    "Designated Fines Officers have the power to issue Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control under schedule 5 of the Courts Act 2003, a court hearing is not required for this sanction to be issued".


    Is the bailiff/enforcement agent required to have the warrant in his possession?
    "It is not necessary for the CEO or the AEA to have the distress warrant in his possession when levying the distress. The legislation simply requires a written statement to be shown to the debtor on demand. In addition, the CrimPR requires arrangements to be made for the debtor to see the warrant if he so requests".


    Does the distress warrant/warrant of control need to be a paper document?
    "The references in the above CrimPR to a “warrant” are not necessarily to a paper document, but can include an electronic version".


    Does a warrant need to be produced?
    "It is not necessary for a formal “warrant” to be produced; what is of**importance is that specific information must be recorded, by some means, at the time the warrant is issued. In particular, the legal basis on which the warrant is issued (for example, a record of the decision authorising the issue of a warrant (made by the court or the fines officer) and when that decision was made). In addition, the information required by CrimPR 52.7(1) should be recorded".


    Recording the date and time that the warrant was received.
    "The reference to the CEO or AEA recording on the warrant the date and time at which it is received (rule 52.7(2) can be satisfied by electronic means. Assuming the request to execute is sent to the CEO or AEA electronically there will be an automatic electronic record of when it was received".


    Requesting to see the distress warrant/warrant of control.
    "As regards the position where the debtor asks to see the warrant, what rule 52.8(2) of the CrimPR envisages is that the debtor will be taken to the relevant office and shown the relevant details on the computer screen. Alternatively, a copy of the electronic data held can be printed and provided to the debtor or the details replicated in some other documentary form (whether it be entitled a “warrant” or not).
    "What is of importance, is, as stated above, that the requisite information is already held. That information can then be subsequently shown to the debtor/replicated when a request is made by the debtor".

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Court Fines and 'Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control...Official response from H

      Examples of Distress Warrants as per previous posts. Two from the Court to the enforcement company and two from enforcement company to debtor.

      Milo - could you point me to the original HMCTS letter quoted from pls.
      Attached Files
      Last edited by Amethyst; 12th December 2014, 08:48:AM.
      #staysafestayhome

      Any support I provide is offered without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

      Received a Court Claim? Read >>>>> First Steps

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Court Fines and 'Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control...Official response from H

        Originally posted by Amethyst View Post

        Milo - could you point me to the original HMCTS letter quoted from pls.
        Amethyst.

        I assume that you are referring to the HMCTS letter that I have posted about above?

        If so, I do not have a hard copy of the letter myself. In fact, I had copied the wording from a post made by a debtor on another forum on 18th November (the one that is well known about on here) . He had received the letter from the Court and sought advice from the forum on it's contens. I assume that you would not want a link posted on here.

        I have sent you a message with a copy of the thread and post as evidence.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Court Fines and 'Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control...Official response from H

          Cheers Milo, you know me, I like to have the originals to satisfy my own mind more than anything. Will check my Pm's. Thank you xxx
          #staysafestayhome

          Any support I provide is offered without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

          Received a Court Claim? Read >>>>> First Steps

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Court Fines and 'Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control...Official response from H

            Originally posted by Amethyst View Post
            Cheers Milo, you know me, I like to have the originals to satisfy my own mind more than anything. Will check my Pm's. Thank you xxx
            I agree with you Amethyst, it would be interesting to see the original letter and the context in which it was written.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Court Fines and 'Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control...Official response from H

              Originally posted by sali1023 View Post
              I agree with you Amethyst, it would be interesting to see the original letter and the context in which it was written.
              Given the extreme importance of the response from HMCTS I too would like to see the original letter.

              It was posted on the 18th November by a poster on another site.

              Accordingly, until I receive a response from my additional enquiries with various agencies, I will rely upon the letter as being a true copy of the original.
              Last edited by Amethyst; 10th December 2014, 23:41:PM.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Court Fines and 'Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control...Official response from H

                Originally posted by Milo View Post
                Given the extreme importance of the response from HMCTS I too would like to see the original letter.

                It was posted on the 18th November by a poster on another site.

                Accordingly, until I receive a response from my additional enquiries with various agencies, I will rely upon the letter as being a true copy of the original.
                It conforms with the relevant legislation, and is consistent with the law.
                Last edited by Amethyst; 11th December 2014, 13:06:PM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Court Fines and 'Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control...Official response from H

                  Originally posted by Milo View Post
                  Amethyst.

                  I assume that you are referring to the HMCTS letter that I have posted about above?

                  If so, I do not have a hard copy of the letter myself
                  Milo,

                  With all due respect, I will treat that as here say until proven otherwise.
                  Last edited by Amethyst; 11th December 2014, 13:05:PM.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Court Fines and 'Distress Warrants/Warrants of Control...Official response from H

                    Once there is a response directly from HMCTS on the issue I will post it up.
                    #staysafestayhome

                    Any support I provide is offered without liability, if you are unsure please seek professional legal guidance.

                    Received a Court Claim? Read >>>>> First Steps

                    Comment

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