KEN TANNENBAUM / SHUTTERSTOCK
NEWS
GENERAL
BILL FOR THE BAILIFFS
enforcement officers, depending on the type of debt being recovered
■ This confusion can result in bailiffs and enforcement officers misrepresenting their legal authority
■ There is anecdotal evidence of some bailiffs using aggression and excessive force, and the costs regime is complex
■ Each enforcement power has a different cost structure and the charging process is prone to abuse
■ In addition, regulation is fragmented with some elements of the industry being tightly regulated, while others are only subject to informal regulation through trade associations
■ There are currently no set training standards. Reform had been in discussion for years – finally it is going to happen From next year, there will be mandatory training and a new certificate process in place, and a set of simple rules regarding entering a property, what goods can be seized and fee structures.
The debt collection sector, or the bailiffs, will be subject to new laws from next year, the government has announced. This is in response to calls from within the industry, as well as from those outside, for legislation to wipe out bad practice. Under the new legislation, bailiffs will be banned from entering homes at night, or properties where only children are present, and will be stopped from using any physical contact when dealing with people who owe money.
They will also no longer have free rein to fix
their own fees, because set fee scales will be brought in.
Bailiff organisations said the changes were badly needed.
At the moment, many of the laws surrounding the collection of debts remain very confusing. The BBC’s legal correspondent, Clive Coleman, outlined some
of the complexities in the law as it stands. ■ The law relating to enforcement by the seizure and sale of goods is complex, unclear and confusing
■ There are also different types of bailiffs and HOT TOPICS IN DUBLIN
The 16th European Parking Association Congress, taking place in Dublin from 11-13 September, will provide a range of different perspectives on parking’s current hot topic – parking and urban mobility. An international panel of speakers will include, Dr Carol Zimmerman of the Batelle Institute, Craig Norton of Sydney International Airport, Olivier Onidi from the
8 MARCH 2013
European Commission, who will talk about European policy and Alan Bristow, who will be sharing his thoughts in the wake of the 2012 Olympics.
Among the themes being explored will be diversity and cooperation in Europe, mobility management and communications and parking in the 21st century. For information
www.epacongress.eu
www.britishparking.co.uk
A spokesperson for the Civil Enforcement Association said it was a ‘small step forward.’ He said: ‘The industry has been pressing for reform for nearly 30 years and we feel these are long overdue. We look forward to their early introduction.’
Justice minister Helen Grant said a small minority of bailiffs had been able to give the industry a bad name. She said: ‘There are some very good bailiffs around, don’t get me wrong – but it is being reported to us from MPs and other organisations that there is bad practice, and we need to deal with it.’ In next month’s Parking News the bailiff sector responds.
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