Who Are Bristow And Sutor?

Bristow and Sutor are an enforcement agency. An enforcement agency is what is commonly known or what used to be known as bailiffs. So, this basically means that they are a company that collects money from people who are in debt, on behalf of other companies, or in this case, local authorities.

For example, if you have missed payments on your council tax and your local authority has had no success when chasing you for the payments, they will seek the help of a debt recovery agency such as Bristow and Sutor.

Based in Redditch, Worcestershire, Bristow and Sutor bailiffs have been specialising in local authority debt recovery since 1977. They work all over England and Wales collecting three main types of debt on behalf of local authorities, these are:

• Council Tax payments
• Non-Domestic Rates
• Penalty Charge Notices, such as parking fines

As well as this, they also collect Sundry Debts, which includes things like leases, rent, or overpayment of benefits.

The agency directly employs its enforcement agents to make sure it has full control and operates to the highest standards.

What Do Bristow And Sutor Do?

Bristow and Sutor debt on behalf of local authorities – this includes payments for council tax and unpaid parking fines. The company directly employs its enforcement agents, meaning that they are legally responsible for their actions and have a responsibility towards the people they are collecting debt from.

Bristow and Sutor specialise in collecting debt for local authorities so this includes payments such as missed Council Tax payments, unpaid Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) such as parking tickets, and Business Rates – this is the tax applied to the occupation of a commercial property, also known as non-domestic rates.

As well as this, they also collect debts including Overpaid Housing Benefits (OPHB) and Former Tenant Arrears (FTA). Chances are you will be very aware if you are in debt and have struggled with payments to your local authority, so to hear from enforcement agencies may not come as a total surprise.

It’s important that you don’t ignore any contact and you deal with your outstanding debt.

Bristow and Sutor’s enforcement agents always behave with integrity and are sensitive to the people they are recovering debt from. The company ensures that it helps and directs people towards free, third-party advice as well as offering its own support and advice to debtors where it can.

What Powers Do Bristow And Sutor Have?

Home entry

If you are in debt with the local authority, you should have been informed about it – although chances are you will know if you are behind on your council tax yourself.

The enforcement agency will send letters on behalf of the local authorities and inform you of the debt you owe. These letters will also warn you that the enforcement agency will be visiting your property and you should be prepared for this.

They will give you at least seven days’ notice to let you know that they will be visiting your home. However, when the enforcement agents do pay you a visit, they are not allowed to force their way into your home unless they are collecting:

• Unpaid criminal fines
• Income Tax
• Stamp Duty

In these cases, you will still get a warning letter telling you when they are going to visit, and the agent will only be allowed to use reasonable force to enter your property – this usually means using a locksmith, being invited in, or entering through an unlocked door.

They are not allowed to break down your door, climb through a window or barge past you when you open the door.

If you owe money on council tax, Penalty Charge Notices, or non-domestic rates then an enforcement agent from Bristow and Sutor is not allowed to force entry into your home at all to collect the money you owe. Again, they cannot push past someone who has opened the door to them and they cannot force entry even with reasonable force such as using a locksmith.

Removal of goods

When an enforcement agent does enter your property, they are allowed to remove goods that add up to the value of the debt that you owe. This could be your TV, computer, laptop, tablet, furniture, or any other items of value but they cannot take items that are deemed essential – more on that later.

The enforcement agent could, however, take your car from outside your house. Once the agent has taken the items that add up to the value of the debt you owe, they take these items to be sold at auction to cover your payments.

You should receive a notification of the date of the auction and where your goods are being sold because obviously if you have sorted out alternative funds from somewhere you can buy your goods back.

These people are highly trained and are sensitive to your situation – they are not going to come into your home and destroy the place or threaten you. Ignore what you have seen on television, and remember that Bristow and Sutor’s agents are bound by the CIVEA Code of Practice to behave with integrity and operate to the highest standards.

There is nothing to be afraid of – while it is a difficult time for you, all the agents and enforcement agencies want to do is to cover the payment and resolve the situation.

Why Do Local Councils Use Bristow And Sutor For Debt Collection?

Bristow and Sutor are used by local councils because they have an excellent reputation for recovering debt.

Councils are extremely busy organisations and not only do Bristow and Sutor have a proven high record and consistent collection rates but they also use the latest technology to ensure the best results.

The agency is constantly developing and improving their in-house systems and processes and has dedicated IT support, led by a Chief Technical Officer with a history of driving technological transformation projects.

What Can Bristow And Sutor Bailiffs Take From Your Home?

Bristow and Sutor are allowed to take any non-essential items from your home, which they can then auction to recover the cost of your debt. These can include but are not limited to non-essential electronics, furniture, designer clothing, and so on.

It’s important to know that Bristow and Sutor or any other enforcement agency cannot take anything that doesn’t belong to the person who is the debtor. Unfortunately, though this can be difficult as it is up to the debtor to prove that the items belong to someone else rather than for the agent to prove it belongs to the debtor.

As mentioned earlier, there are some items that enforcement agents from Bristow and Sutor are not allowed to take and these are essential items such as:

• Kitchen appliances
• Assistance dogs
• Things which are necessary for your work, up to a value of £1,350
• Bedding
• Medical equipment

They are not going to take anything that will put your life in danger or that will stop you from earning money to make a living. All that the agents are looking to do is to cover the cost of the amount you owe.

What To Do If You’re In Debt With Bristow And Sutor?

The most important thing is that you don’t ignore them! When you receive a letter or warning from Bristow and Sutor, even if you don’t think the debt is yours, the best thing to do is to talk to them as soon as you can to try and resolve the situation.

If you ignore the letters then the debt will not go away and having it hanging over you could really affect your mental health.

Talk to Bristow and Sutor and come to an arrangement, it’s far better for both parties if you face it and to get it resolved as quickly as possible.

Get In Touch With Us Today For Accurate, Non-Judgemental Advice

Remember that you’re not the only person in this situation – debt is a common issue for many around the world. Though there are many people who are living with debt, there are even more people who have paid their debt and are now living a debt-free life.

With our advice, you can join them. We’ve helped hundreds pay off their debt with our expert services. If you feel ready to take that next step, get in touch with us here at IVA Helpline on 0800 464 7235.