Enforcement over Christmas
by David Carter on 22 December 2009
Christmas is, of course, the season of goodwill to all men, including debtors!
The guidelines set has set down by the Lord Chancellor’s Department say that enforcement should not take place on Christmas Day, and they recommend that enforcement officers be aware of the dates of other religious festivals, of all religions, and carefully consider whether it is appropriate to undertake enforcement during major religious or cultural festivals.
The Lord Chancellor’s Department also recommends that enforcement should only be carried out between the hours of 6.00am and 9.00pm or at any time during trading hours, and that existing legislation must be observed.
Enforcement should not be undertaken on Sundays, on Bank Holidays, on Good Friday or, as already mentioned, on Christmas Day, unless the court specifically orders otherwise or in situations where legislation permits it.
These guidelines apply to all enforcement officers, whether Certificated Bailiff or HCEO, public or private.
So good news for Santa if he’s a bit late paying off his toy bills (they must be enormous!)
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Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Sheriffs High Court Enforcement Ltd, trading as The Sheriffs Office. Sheriffs High Court Enforcement Ltd does not take any responsibility for the views of the author. The author will not be held responsible for any comments posted by visitors to this site. Please note that this article does not constitute legal advice. The author has used his best endeavours to make this article as accurate and complete as possible, but requests that the reader be aware that the law of England and Wales frequently changes. The author strongly advises the reader to take legal advice before embarking on any enforcement action.
