Find Out Whether Bailiffs Could Take Your TV

Are you worried about a bailiff coming to your home? Maybe you’re feeling stressed about your things being taken away. You might even be wondering, “Can Bailiffs Take My TV?” These are common fears when dealing with bailiffs. But don’t worry, we’re here to help.

Every month, over 170,000 people come to our website seeking advice on debt problems, so you’re not alone.

In this article, we will talk about:

•  What bailiffs are and who sends them.
•  How to know if a bailiff is telling the truth.
•  What a bailiff can and cannot take from your home.
•  How to stop a bailiff from coming to your home.
•  Ways to reduce or get rid of some of your debt.

We’ll also explain how to check a bailiff’s identity and what to do if you’re not happy with a bailiff. Remember, it’s important to know your rights and what bailiffs can and cannot do.

Let’s dive into what your options are.

Can bailiffs take my tv?

There are items that bailiffs can take and items they can’t touch. Unfortunately, a TV is deemed a ‘non-essential’ luxury item, which means a bailiff can seize it!

Also worth noting is that bailiffs can look through a window to see items they’d like to include in a control of goods list!

How should you deal with TV licence bailiffs?

You should always remain polite when dealing with bailiffs. However, you should not open your door and let them into your house!

A bailiff can’t force their way into your home and they can’t enter if the only person in the house is under 16 years of age.

They can’t go in if there are vulnerable people in the house either.

Also, bailiffs can’t enter your home by climbing through a window. They must make a peaceful entry through a door!

How do you find out if a bailiff is legit?

You can check whether a bailiff is certified and therefore, legitimate in the following ways:

• By checking the register of certified bailiffs
• By checking if the bailiff is a High Court Enforcement Officer
• By checking the court finder if a bailiff claims to be a County Court Bailiff, Civil Enforcement Officer or a Family Court Bailiff

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Fill out the short debt form

Where can enforcement agents visit you?

Certified bailiffs can visit you in residential or business premises in England and Wales.

They can also schedule a visit to someone else’s address when you’ve stored any of your possessions there. However, they must get a court warrant first!

It’s also worth noting that bailiffs can seize any of your possessions they find on a public highway. In short, they could seize your vehicle if it’s parked on a public road.

Also worth knowing is that bailiffs often use ANPR to identify vehicles you own!

Thousands have already tackled their debt

Every day our partners, The Debt Advice Service, help people find out whether they can lower their repayments and finally tackle or write off some of their debt.

Natasha

I’d recommend this firm to anyone struggling with debt – my mind has been put to rest, all is getting sorted.

Get started

Reviews shown are for The Debt Advice Service.

What items can bailiffs take and what can’t they take?

Bailiffs can only take things if you let them into your house. This includes the following:

• Luxury items which include games consoles
• TVs
• Items that are seen as non-essential like jewellery
• Electrical items
• Vehicles

However, the list of things a bailiff cannot take is long and includes:

• Items you need for your work or study up to a value of £1,350
• Another person’s belongings which include your children
• Pets and guide dogs
• Mobility vehicles or cars with valid Blue Badges
• Your personal clothes
• Items you need to live

How many times could a bailiff visit you in a single day?

There are rules on the number of times a bailiff can visit you in a single day. However, if you’re not at home when they visit, the number of times they could show up may increase!

That said, they can only come to your home a maximum of three times a day!

How do I complain about a bailiff?

If you think that your bailiff has been unreasonable or behaved inappropriately, you can make a complaint. You can also make a complaint if you feel that they have broken any of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) guidelines.

Make your first complaint to your bailiff so that they have the chance to sort out the issue themselves. If you feel that they have not taken your complaint seriously enough or have not addressed your issue properly, you can escalate matters.

You can make any secondary complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). They will investigate and, if your complaint is upheld, your bailiff may be fined. You could even be owed compensation.

If your bailiff company or agency is not registered with the FCA, you can make your secondary complaints to the Civil Enforcement Authority (CIVEA). CIVEA has its own set of guidelines and procedures for dealing with complaints against its members.

What if I’m a vulnerable person?

Before you start addressing the notice of enforcement, you should know that if you: 

• Are disabled in any way or extremely ill
• Suffer from any kind of mental illness 
• Have children or are pregnant 
• Are under the age of 18 or over the age of 65
• Are dealing with a stressful situation such as the death of a loved one or unemployment 
• Don’t speak English very well 

You are considered a vulnerable person. This means that any bailiffs will have to follow some additional rules to ensure their visit is as easy on you as possible.

Furthermore, if any of these conditions apply to you, you can get more time to deal with the notice of enforcement. You can also get more time if the notice of enforcement was not sent to you properly by the bailiff.  

If you fall into any of the above categories, you need to either tell the bailiffs yourself or get a relative or carer to do it for you. You can then contact the bailiff by phone or by post. I have a free letter template that you can use to explain your situation.

When you speak to the bailiffs, you need to:

• Tell them that you’re vulnerable
• Explain why you would find dealing with bailiffs more difficult than other people in the same situation
• Ask them to stop any visits in the future because it will cause harm and distress to you
• Tell them if a letter or a visit could make your situation worse – this could be the case if you have a mental health problem or a heart condition, for example.

Make a note of what you agree with the bailiffs about future contact. This will make it easier to argue with them if they don’t stick to this new agreement, or if you need to make a complaint.