Planes, boats and reindeer
by David Carter on 22 December 2009
Of course we’d never seize Santa’s reindeer (tools of the trade!), but there are many occasions where we do seize vehicles and other forms of transport of all types and sizes, usually prompting payment but occasionally making it for sale at auction or by private treaty.
Planes: The Sheriffs Office recently seized several light aircraft at an international airport. After notifying the Civil Aviation Authority who provisionally grounded the planes, our officers seized all of the aeroplanes’ airworthiness certificates and registration documents, legally preventing any of the aircraft from flying. Not surprisingly, they paid up pretty quickly!
Boats: The Sheriffs Office has seized all manner of water-going transport from 30 pedalos in a London park to a 200ft commercial ship in Barrow in Furness. Of particular note was the seizure of a £3.5M Sunseeker yacht in an exclusive London harbour earlier this year. The defendant had emigrated to Spain, leaving many unpaid debts in the UK. The claimant was tipped off that the defendant was visiting the UK in his yacht. Accordingly, our officers seized the yacht and after many hours of argument and denial the defendant paid the princely sum of £93,000 by international bank transfer from a Swiss bank account!
Reindeer: OK, we haven’t seized any reindeer, yet. But animals and livestock are available for seizure if necessary. In 2008, The Sheriffs Office made seizure of nearly one hundred horses at a farm in Amersham. The defendant was in the process of being prosecuted by the RSPCA for cruelty to the animals. At our client’s request, the seizure was lifted, allowing the RSPCA to attend and rescue the animals. Unfortunately, no monies were recovered in this instance but the defendant did go to prison for his actions.
Over the years, The Sheriffs Office has seized all manner of items from the very obscure to the run of the mill defendant’s vehicle. Seizure does not always mean removal and sale. Less than 1% of goods seized make it to auction. The very nature of this exercise is to prompt payment of the sums due.
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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.
