The Ultimate Guide to ARP Enforcement Agency

Have you received a letter from ARP Enforcement Agency? Are ARP Enforcement agents showing up at your door demanding payment? Are you confused and worried about what to do next?

Then you are in the right place.

Do Not Speak to ARP Enforcement Agency Until You Know About This

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This article will cover all you need to know about handling ARP Enforcement agents and what they can and can’t do.

Having overhanging debt can be scary, and matters may worsen if debt collectors start banging on your door.

Our guide will help you know your rights, and we will even suggest possible debt solutions that might help you work your way out of debt.

Who is ARP Enforcement Agency?

The ARP Enforcement Agency is a partnership of five local authorities that provide enforcement services.

Previously known as Bailiff Services, the partnership consists of the following councils:

  • Breckland Council
  • East Cambridgeshire Council
  • Fenland District Council
  • West Suffolk Council
  • East Suffolk District Council

ARP carry out debt collections for South Norfolk District Council and Norwich City Council.

If you ignore ARP Enforcement, you may face additional costs and or court action. You must respond to all correspondence your receive from ARP.

How do I get in contact with ARP Enforcement?

You can contact ARP via the following methods:

You can complain about your enforcement agent by contacting ARP using one of the methods noted above and explaining your personal situation.

Are they a legitimate company?

Unfortunately, ARP is a legitimate company, and you should take them seriously.

ARP Enforcement is regulated by the Civil Enforcement Association and must abide by the CEA’s code of conduct at all times.

Why is ARP Enforcement Contacting me?

If you have received some form of contact from ARP, then you will likely hold outstanding debt to another company.

ARP will chase unpaid debt for local councils. A local authority or council will issue a warrant of control instructing ARP Enforcement agents to reclaim the debt on their behalf or seize possessions as collateral.

If you are unsure whether you believe the debt in question is your own, then make sure to request a Proof of Debt letter before paying any money to ARP or letting them into your home.

What are my next steps?

After receiving your first contact from ARP, you should request a Proof of Debt letter.

A Proof of Debt confirms and provides evidence that the collected debt is yours and no one else’s.

If ARP cannot provide you with Proof of debt, you should not make any repayments.

However, if they can provide evidence, you should aim to make your debt repayments as soon as possible.

You should reply to all forms of communication at the compliance stage, as this will prevent bailiffs from showing up at your door and keep additional charges at bay.

Statute-barred debt cannot be legally chased, so if you have a debt that hasn’t been chased or paid within the past six years, you may not need to pay.

What can ARP do?

You must be aware of what ARP Agency can and cannot do. If ARP breaks any regulations, you are entitled to make a formal complaint.

ARP is permitted to take the following actions:

  • Visit your property to solicit payment for outstanding debt.
  • Send communications via permitted channels, such as email or phone calls.
  • Request a County Court Judgment if payment is not obtained.
  • Add interest and additional fees to the debt if it continues to be ignored.
  • Send bailiffs to seize your property if a CCJ is ignored.

Above is a list of the main powers of ARP enforcement agents. However, knowing what ARP is not permitted to do is important.

What can’t ARP do?

An ARP debt collector cannot take the following action in their bid to reclaim outstanding money:

  • Force entry into your property; you do not have to let them in your home.
  • Use legal jargon to confuse or manipulate the debtor.
  • Lie about your debt or the legal powers they possess.
  • Discuss your debt with anyone other than yourself.
  • Threaten or harass you with multiple letters or calls.
  • Contact you or conduct a home visit at unreasonable times.

If you believe an ARP enforcement agent has misconducted themselves, you must file a complaint against them.

Can ARP Enforcement remove items from my home?

Yes, if you refuse to make any repayments towards your outstanding debts or active payment plan, then ARP are permitted to remove items from inside and outside of your home.

The bailiffs can only take non-essential or luxury items, such as televisions, jewellery, and vehicles.

Certain items ARP cannot claim are essential items, such as the following:

  • Microwaves.
  • Medicine or medical equipment.
  • Pets, including guide dogs.
  • Blue Badge vehicles.
  • Work tools, up to a total value of £1,350.
  • Items that do not belong to the debtor.

If the bailiffs have removed any items, you do not believe they should have, contact a debt advice charity or file a formal complaint.

What if I refuse to let an enforcement agent into my property?

You do not have to let a bailiff into your home, however, if you refuse to communicate with your creditor, you could be charged additional fees.

Bailiffs may still be able to reclaim your possessions if they are left outside your property, for example, any vehicles or garden furniture.

To avoid possessions being taken by your creditors, you should always try and park your vehicles in a garage or leave them at a family or friend’s house.

Do Not Let an ARP Enforcement Agent Into Your House Until You Know About This

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ARP Enforcement Fees

The enforcement fees will depend on the stage of recovery action you are currently at.

Compliance – This stage consists of the creditors contacting you to make you aware of your debt. They will request payment and send out a formal enforcement notice. This stage comes with a fixed charge of £75, with a 0% percentage fee.

Enforcement – This stage consists of bailiffs visiting your premises and attempting to take possession of your goods. You can expect a fixed rate of £235 and a percentage fee of 7.5%.

Sale – This stage consists of removing and selling your goods at auction. The sale of assets tends to be a last resort. The sales costs are around £110, with a percentage rate of 7.5%.

How can I stop ARP?

You can prevent the matter with ARP from escalating, provided you act quickly to repay your debts.

Always seek out confidential debt advice from a professional service, as they can give qualified help that may help you keep your assets and maintain control of your money.

The best way to ensure you don’t incur further debts is to openly communicate with ARP about your financial situation.

Being honest with your creditors about how you are struggling to pay what you owe will benefit you, as it will prove that you want to pay what you owe but simply can’t, but you are willing to comply.

FAQs

Why has the Enforcement Agent asked me to sign a Controlled Goods Agreement?

A Controlled Goods Agreement confirms that even though property remains in your possession, the bailiffs have the power to take away items later.

Failure to sign the Controlled Goods Agreement could result in the enforcement agent taking your goods on the spot.

If your property is taken, it will be held in a storage unit which may result in additional charges.

You will receive a further period to pay; however, failure to pay or set up a valid payment arrangement could result in your property being sold.

What if the ARP letter isn’t for me?

If an enforcement letter has been sent to your address, but you don’t believe it is for you, then you have a moral obligation to make ARP aware of the circumstances.

A bailiff may visit your address to confirm your identity and ensure the debts attached to your current address are redirected to the correct party.

If you have the details for the previous tenants, it would be helpful to provide ARP with these details, as this will speed up the adjustments.

You are not legally obliged to make ARP aware of their mistake. However, the individual who owes the debt may have adverse repercussions if you fail to highlight the error.

I’ve paid the local authority already – why should I pay again?

You should never be made to pay the same debt more than once. So, if you believe you have already paid the local council, you should contact the council for confirmation.

You might incur further costs if the payment was not made until after the enforcement agency was hired.

Make sure you pay the charges; further costs or court action may be taken against you.

An Enforcement Agent visited while I was out and left a notice of attendance. What should I do?

If you receive a notice of attendance, you should call the agent back using the number provided on the letter.

You can request a more suitable time for them to come back, or you could try and arrange to set up an affordable payment plan, instead of a lump sum payment.

I have made an arrangement but cannot afford to keep paying regularly

If you can no longer afford to pay your monthly payments, you should contact ARP as soon as possible to make them aware.

ARP may be able to discuss updating your repayment options and even highlight plausible debt solutions that may help you meet your payments.

As soon as you realise you are falling into debt, you should seek qualified debt advice from a debt charity.

A debt advisory service can provide guidance and help you maintain control of your finances and assets.

Summary

If you have fallen into debt with your council, you might be visited by an enforcement agent from ARP.

You should make an honest effort to pay the money you owe to avoid any interest or repossession of assets.

Most enforcement agencies, such as ARP, will allow debtors to set up an agreement which may help those struggling to pay deal with what they owe and stay in control of their funds.

Make sure to contact a debt help agency to find suitable debt solutions that may help you work your way out of debt before it becomes persistent.

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