The Ultimate Guide to Whyte & Co

Are you receiving numerous letters from Whyte & Co regarding your debt?

Do you feel under pressure and worried about how you can deal with the enforcement agents?

You are in the right place.

Do Not Speak to Whyte & Co Until You Know About This

This Ultimate Guide gives you all the information you need to feel confident under pressure.

From who Whyte and Co are to their rights and regulations, this article will cover it all!

Who are Whyte & Co?

Whyte and Co is a Kent-based team of enforcement agents, providing professional bailiff services since 1981 to communities across England and Wales.

The Ministry of Justice regulates this company. It has certificates that show that they have the legal power to remove and sell your belongings to rebuild the payment.

Why are Whyte & Co contacting me?

Every chance you are confused about why Whyte and Co are reaching out to you, especially if you did not know who the company was before this article.

If the enforcement agency has contacted you, this will be because you owe them money.

Your debt will originally be from another creditor (one that you should recognise) that has failed to retrieve your money.

Once they have been unsuccessful in gaining the debt from you, they will pass it on to Whyte & Co.

What debts do Whyte and Co collect?

Here is a list of debts that this company collects:

Sundry debts
Penalty charge recovery
Former and current rent arrears
Housing benefit overpayments
Council tax non-domestic rates
Traffic management enforcement
Pre/post traffic enforcement centre debt recovery

Are they a legitimate company?

Whyte & Co is a legitimate company.

The company is registered and authorised with an office based in Kent.

The agency is private and active. Therefore, you should take everything they do and say very seriously as there may be repercussions for your actions.

Should I pay Whyte & Co the money I owe?

When you have a debt in your name, you are legally responsible for paying this off.

If you have the money to pay off your debt, you should do this as soon as possible.

Paying off your debt when informed of it can make an enforcement agency’s fuss disappear quickly, and court responsibilities are taken out of the picture.

Before you pay ANYTHING, you should ensure that the debt is yours and check if it is statute-barred.

In previous years, there have been cases where an enforcement agency has presented an incorrect name for the debt.

Get proof of debt

The law requires that a debt collection company MUST require proof of a debt.

Only stating that the recipient has been traced to the debt is NOT proof.

Documentations with dates and exact amounts will need to be produced and provided to be liable.

Without any proof, you are not required to pay a penny.

I cannot afford to pay- what should I do?

Wanting to pay off your debt is one thing, but being able to afford it is another ballpark.

There are always options that you can take around paying off your debt.

If you are definitely liable to pay your debt but physically cannot afford it in your financial situation, here are the options you can take:

Payment plan

Discussing your personal and financial situation with Whyte & Co can be beneficial in arranging a payment plan.

A payment plan should cover a specific time scale and be paid in smaller segments without any drastic fees, interest rates, or penalties.

Writing off your debt

You can check if you qualify for an IVA to write off your debt completely.

An IVA can help you by combining your debts to lower the overall price.

The IVA time frame is 60 months, and any remaining funds left to be paid at the end of the timescale are legally written off!

Usually, you will find that the amount written off is about 60%.

Debt management plans

Debt consolidation loans
Debt arrangement schemes
Minimal asset process
Bankruptcy procedure– this should be the last option, ALWAYS.

Can I ignore the company?

Ignoring a company like Whyte and Co could be one of the worst ideas!

It is one of the most tempting methods you could choose. However, you should be aware that ignoring your debt will NOT make them go away.

Not notifying the enforcement agency of your situation, plans, or any form of information for a long while will resolve legal action being taken against you.

How can I stop Whyte and Co from contacting me?

In short, you will not be able to stop Whyte & Co from contacting you.

After the debt is passed on to this company, they are liable to collect the money, meaning there are requirements of sending letters and phone calls to chase you up.

The Financial Conduct Authority sets this up.

If you feel harassed by the team at Whyte & Co, you can inform them of your contact preferences, such as only calling between 12 pm and 4 pm.

What can Whyte and Co legally do?

Understanding the difference between what Whyte & Co can and cannot do is essential when you are in this position.

Enforcement and debt collection agents can take the following steps:

Visit your property in an attempt to reclaim the money.
Send you letters to the address given.
Call you on your telephone regarding your debt.
Incur additional interest or charges to your debt.
Send high court enforcement bailiffs to seize assets.
File for a County Court Judgement when a payment arrangement has not been met.

Although there are many things that Whyte & Co can do, you should also keep in mind that there are also some acts that they can not undertake.

Do Not Let Whyte and Co Into Your House Until You Know About This

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What can’t Whyte and Co’s bailiffs legally do?

Whyte & Co’s enforcement agents are not permitted to take the following actions:

Use technical jargon to confuse you and hold power.
Inform any other individual about your debt if they are not involved.
Threaten or harass you.
Lie or provide inaccurate details regarding your debt or payment plan.
Force entry through doors or windows.
They cannot visit elderly or vulnerable people.
They cannot visit between 9 pm, and 6 am.

What items can Whyte and Co take from me?

Unfortunately, Whyte & Co has the legal power to seize your personal belongings and sell them to pay the debt you owe.

You should be aware that this should only happen after the creditor has taken you to court.

This is called a ‘Controlled Goods Agreement’.

The agreement should equate to the amount of your debt.

If you let the bailiff into your home, they are allowed to take:

Vehicles- cars, bicycles, vans, etc.
Joint-owned items.
Luxury items- money, jewellery, antiques.
Television and gaming consoles.

What items are Whyte and Co not allowed to take?

There are also some items that bailiffs are strictly prohibited from taking.

These items will consist of:

Dining tables and chairs.
Lighting.
Bedding.
Clothes.
Cooker/ fridges.
Pets.
Items owned by anybody else.

If a bailiff attempts to seize any of the goods listed above, you should raise this matter and complain.

What happens after my items have been taken away from me?

After your belongings are seized in the Controlled Goods Agreement, they will be taken to a storage unit.

After some time has passed (you will be informed of the time scale by your creditor), your goods will begin to be sold or auctioned.

The money should be used to pay your debt and any additional bailiff fees.

Do not expect to receive your items back again.

How do I contact Whyte and Co?

You should contact Whyte & Co as quickly as possible to ensure no further action occurs.

Here are the important contact details you should be aware of:

Phone- 0345 458 9429
Email- [email protected]
Address- 7 White Oak Square, London Road, Swanley, Kent, BR8 7AG

The company opening times are 9 am-5 pm Monday to Friday.

FAQ’s

Do bailiff charges exist?

Unfortunately, bailiff charges exist and are outlined in the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2014.

As there are three stages of bailiff action, there are three different prices.

Compliance (sending enforcement notices)- £75
Enforcement (visiting your home)- £235
Sale of goods (removing and selling your items)- £110

What extra fees can be added?

Even though bailiff fees are already a hefty cost, you must be aware that additional fees also come along.

Here is a list of additional fees you should expect:

Locksmith costs
Auctioneer costs, having sold your goods
Storage costs
Court fees

What if the letter isn’t for me?

If you are certain that the letter provided is not for you, you should raise this with Whyte & Co.

If you fail to bring up any issue with this debt, Whyte & Co will continue to hassle and chase you.

Summary

We understand that being in debt is not ideal, and it can be even scarier and overwhelming when an enforcement agency like Whyte & Co is chasing you for payments.

Understanding this company’s do’s and don’ts is incredibly important if it is your first or tenth time dealing with debt.

So, hopefully, this guide has informed you of everything you should know before dealing with Whyte & Co.

Make sure to contact a debt help agency for some further free impartial debt advice to find a debt solution to suit you.

List of Debt Collection Agencies UK

Here is a list of all the debt collectors in the UK.