County Court Judgment (CCJ) Enforcement

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Already hold a judgment? Start here

A County Court Judgment confirms that the debt is owed. It doesn't pay you on its own. Recovia obtains CCJs through our legal partner and then enforces them, choosing the method the debtor's assets and income actually support. Already hold an unpaid judgment? We take enforcement-only instructions.

Getting a judgment

1. Pre-action checks. Credit, asset and insolvency checks confirm the debtor can pay before you spend on court fees.
2. Claim issued. Our legal partner prepares and files the claim. You approve all costs in writing first.
3. Response period. The debtor is served and has a set time to pay, admit or defend.
4. Judgment. If there's no response, judgment can be entered by default. A CCJ stays on the public Register of Judgments for six years unless paid in full within one month.

Enforcement options (England and Wales)

• Warrant or writ of control. Enforcement agents take control of goods to sell towards the debt. Suits debtors with business assets, stock or vehicles.
• Attachment of earnings order. Deductions taken directly from an individual's wages. Suits sole traders or guarantors in employment.
• Third-party debt order. Freezes money in a bank account, or money owed to the debtor by someone else. Suits debtors with funds in the bank.
• Charging order. Secures the debt against land or property the debtor owns. Suits debtors who own property.
• Order to obtain information. Requires the debtor to attend court and answer questions about their finances. Useful when you don't yet know what the debtor owns.

For judgments of £600 or more, enforcement can be transferred to the High Court and carried out by High Court Enforcement Officers. See High Court Enforcement.

Choosing the right method

The wrong enforcement method wastes fees and time. We use the information from our due diligence, including property ownership, trading address, company assets and employment, to recommend the method most likely to produce payment. Where the picture is unclear, an order to obtain information can come first.

Costs

Court fees follow the HMCTS fee scale and vary with the claim value and enforcement method. You approve every cost in writing before it's incurred. Court fees and fixed costs are generally added to the judgment debt and claimed from the debtor.

Recovia Ltd is not a firm of solicitors. Court proceedings are conducted through our legal partner.

Frequently asked questions

We already have a CCJ. Can you enforce it? Yes. Send us the judgment and what you know about the debtor.

The debtor is a limited company. Can we use attachment of earnings? No. That applies to individuals in employment. Against a company, a writ of control, third-party debt order or charging order is usually the route.

Can we enforce in Scotland? An English judgment can be registered in Scotland and enforced there using Scottish diligence. See Debt Recovery in Scotland.

Related: High Court Enforcement · Statutory Demands & Winding-Up · Debtor Tracing · Our Services · Letter Before Action guide

Holding an unpaid judgment? Send it to us or call 01527 369593.