Who/what is a Certificated Bailiff?
	Why has a Bailiff visited your property?
	What should I do next?
	What should I do if I have received a letter or notice from Phoenix, however the person named on the letter or notice has no connection or relationship to me?
	What are my options, if I cannot afford to pay my debt in full?
	What can I do if my payment arrangement offer is not accepted by Phoenix?
	What methods of payment does Phoenix accept?
	What can I do, if I dispute the amount that they claim I owe?
	What fees or charges can / may be applied to my account?
	What will/can happen if I refuse to pay?
	Who can I contact if I am experiencing financial difficulties?
	How can I make a Complaint?
	What should I do if I miss an agreed payment date?
	Do Phoenix Bailiff’s adhere to a Code of Conduct?
	Who is Phoenix governing body?

Who/what is a Certificated Bailiff?
A Certificated Bailiff is an enforcement agent who acts on behalf of Local Authorities and Magistrate Courts enforcing unpaid Council Tax and Business Rates Liability Orders, Warrants of Execution for unpaid Penalty Charge Notices for Civil Parking infringements and Distress Warrants for unpaid Court fines.

What should I do next?
If you have received a visit from a Bailiff, you should firstly speak with the Bailiff to discuss and agree a suitable payment or repayment method to settle your debt.

If you were not present at the property when the Bailiff visited and you have received a letter marked for your attention, you should contact the Bailiff immediately to discuss your account.

What should I do if I have received a letter or notice from Phoenix, however the person named on the letter or notice has no connection or relationship to me?
If you have received a letter or notice from Phoenix, however the person named on the letter is of no connection or relationship to you, then you must contact Phoenix immediately in order that we can update our records with any new forwarding address details or telephone numbers of the previous occupier(s). To verify the accuracy of the information provided, we will request a proof of tenancy (i.e. copy of tenancy agreement) or a copy of a utility bill. It is important that you do not delay contacting Phoenix, as a failure to do so may result in our continued recovery action or additional letters being sent to your property.

What are my options, if I cannot afford to pay my debt in full?
Phoenix is committed to working with you to achieve a realistic settlement of your debt. If you cannot afford to pay your debt in full, you must contact us immediately to discuss the payment options available to you. We can offer flexible payment arrangements, however these are determined by the guidelines specified by our Clients. Payment arrangements are discretionary and will only be entered into subject to an arrangement being maintained.

What can I do if my payment arrangement offer is not accepted by Phoenix?
The guidelines and the terms for accepting payment arrangements are determined by the Client’s that Phoenix act on behalf of. In most cases, we can only enter into short term payment arrangements and in some instances are unable to accept all offers of payment proposed. Depending on what stage your case has reached in the enforcement/recovery cycle, we may not be able to enter into an arrangement with you and you will have to deal with the Bailiff directly.

What methods of payment does Phoenix accept?
Please go to the ‘Payment Methods’ tab displayed on this website for a list of payment methods accepted by Phoenix.

What can I do, if I dispute the amount that they claim I owe?
Should you dispute the validity of a debt or the amount owed, you must either speak with Phoenix or our Client to establish the facts regarding the debt owed. If you claim to have paid the debt that is being pursued, then you must provide ‘proof of payment’ to verify that the amount in question has in fact been paid.

What fees and charges can or may be applied to my account?
Because we have been instructed to visit there are certain fees and charges which can and are applied to your account and are legally payable by you. It would depend on what type of debt you owe as to which set of charges may apply to your debt, but each set of charges are clearly headed.

Some of the fees and charges are based on set scales others are calculated on the basis of reasonable fees and expenses which mean that the more you avoid the debt or the further into the process you allow your debt to go the more likelihood of those charges escalating. It is therefore in your interests to deal with your indebtedness at the earliest opportunity as once fees and charges have been applied they will not be cancelled.

Should you ever wish to query or enquire about a fee we have applied, we would always be happy to explain this to you and write detailing the charges added to your debt. We will not however debate the amount of a fee, however if you wish to dispute this then you have the legal right to apply to the court for assessment of the charges; that however will not halt the recovery process as to do this you would be required to settle the debt and the charges in full first.

Please click below for details of the following charges:
Council Tax Debts
Business Rates Debts
Road Traffic Debts

What will/can happen if I refuse to pay?
Your continued failure to acknowledge our requests for payment could result in the Bailiff seizing and removing your goods and they may be sold at public auction to recover the sum due. Additionally you will also incur additional Bailiffs costs. It should also be noted that goods sold at public auction raise only approximately 10% of the retail value.

Who can I contact if I am experiencing financial difficulties?
Please go to the ‘Debt Advice’ tab displayed on this website for a list of debt advisory organisations that can assist you with professional and confidential debt advice.

How can I make a Complaint?
At Phoenix, we endeavor to provide each Customer with exceptional levels of service and customer care, however there may be instances where we sometimes get it wrong. In instances where we may receive a complaint, we view this as an opportunity for us to improve our services or procedures as a result.

We treat complaints very seriously and by informing of where you believe that we may have gone wrong, you can help us to put things right and ensure that a suitable and appropriate resolution is found.

If you are dissatisfied with the level of service received from a member of staff or alternatively your complaint may relate to another matter concerning your account, please click here.

What should I do if I miss an agreed payment date?
In the event that you miss a payment date or payment deadline, you should contact Phoenix immediately to explain the reasons surrounding your missed payment. Our Call Centre operators are there to help you and they will adopt an approach that best addresses your personal situation and are committed to working with you to achieve a realistic settlement of your debt.

Do Phoenix Bailiff’s adhere to a Code of Conduct?
Yes, all Bailiffs adhere to Phoenix’s Code of Conduct, which is also aligned with the Association of Civil Enforcement Agencies (ACEA) Code of Conduct.

Who is Phoenix's governing body?
Phoenix's governing body is the Association of Civil Enforcement Agencies (ACEA). Please note that ACEA as an association does not give advice to members of the public; however the association encourages members of the public to seek further advice from a recognised local or national advice agency or a qualified legal practitioner.