Latest news with #bailiff
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Britain's biggest bailiff firm forced into refunds programme after overcharging
Britain's biggest bailiff company overcharged people it was pursuing for unpaid debts and has been forced to launch a refunds programme, the Guardian can reveal. Marston Holdings, which is used by companies and state-funded bodies including Transport for London to recover debts and fines, has apologised to consumers after overcharging 'enforcement fees' related to unpaid road traffic penalties it was chasing. The body that oversees the bailiff sector in England and Wales said the company's behaviour was 'unacceptable' and had breached regulations designed to protect the public from overcharging. In England and Wales, when a bailiff – or 'enforcement agent' – visits someone's home, a fixed fee of £235 is added to the debt. Sources said thousands of individuals may have been overcharged after the company added multiple enforcement fees to their debts. Marston did not say how many people may be affected but said fewer than 0.3% of its debtor caseload have been affected. Minutes of a trade body meeting last month – seen by the Guardian – stated that Marston was alerted to this issue in April, and that an investigation by an industry oversight body 'revealed breaches in multiple cases where more than one [£235] enforcement fee had been charged instead of the cases being linked under one fee'. Marston said 'the [systems] issue has been fixed' and refund cheques had been sent to 'all of those affected'. However, the minutes from last month's meeting said Marston had initiated a review of seven years' worth of cases, and the company was committed to rectifying the errors via a full refunds scheme, with a dedicated call centre, that would operate for three years. Marston works with dozens of local authorities as well as official bodies including TfL, HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and Highways England (now National Highways). It boasts of recovering 'over £850m each year on behalf of the taxpayer' and also works for private companies. TfL said Marston 'are not carrying out any enforcement work for us at the moment. Their contract is under review.' The UK bailiff sector is big business: every year, millions of people are on the receiving end of enforcement action, with data showing there were 8 million cases in 2024, with a total value of £5.2bn. In 2023 the Guardian reported that the profits of leading bailiff firms had seen risen to record levels during the cost of living crisis. It is estimated that well over half of the cases where bailiffs are called in involve unpaid road traffic and parking fines and penalties, including congestion charges and penalties relating to Ulez (ultra-low emission zone) and driving in a bus lane. Chris Nichols, the chief executive of the Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB), the independent oversight body for the bailiff sector in England and Wales, said: 'It is very concerning to see breaches of regulations that are there to protect the public from overcharging. 'This is unacceptable behaviour, and the ECB is taking strong action to ensure that people who have been impacted are found and refunded, and that this behaviour is never repeated. 'We have ensured that Marston has signed up to a robust action plan to put this right.' Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion In a refund letter sent by Marston Recovery – one of the group's brands – to one of those affected last month it apologised for a 'mistake' with the enforcement fees applied to the individual's debt, and said: 'We've now fixed this issue, and you're due a refund.' The letter included a reference to 'HMCTS' – however, Marston says the overcharging issue does not involve fines imposed by HMCTS and that an administrative error led to this wording not being removed. The letter included a cheque for a sum approaching £250, made up of a refund of £235, plus interest. Marston said the three-year period for the refunds scheme is a precautionary measure to account for scenarios such as this, and it would make every effort to reach everyone affected. Earlier this summer the government announced a package of measures designed 'to deliver a fairer system of debt enforcement'. A spokesperson for Marston Recovery said: 'In the spring of this year an issue was identified where some individuals with multiple unpaid road traffic penalties had been overcharged enforcement fees. The issue has been fixed. 'Letters, with cheques for a full refund plus interest at 8%, have been sent out to all of those affected. Those letters include an apology and guidance on how to contact us if there are any questions or help is required.' They added: 'Since the issue first came to light, we have worked closely with the ECB … and all of our clients. We take full ownership and have worked hard to do the right thing by repaying people back what they are owed.'
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Battle organisers await approval for Jersey event to take place
The new organisers of the Battle of Flowers say they are awaiting permission for the event to go Battle Strategy Group said it had submitted final plans to the bailiff's office for the annual event, which is set to commence on a smaller scale on 8 and 9 August.A new temporary route was announced at the beginning of July, taking the floats off the main strip of the avenue and into the town of St Helier. The breakaway group took control of the association's assets at a meeting on Tuesday evening. Organiser Martyn Maguire said it was important for the group to take official said: "We wanted to put in place all the correct governance for the association, so that's what we did."We had a battle strategy group running battle this year, but we really needed to take control of the actual association so that we could control the assets of the association, such as the battle shed and the office." Jersey's government has given nearly £160,000 in funding for the events, despite its overspend of about £150,000 last Maguire said the grant was "focused solely on the battle for this year".He said: "Now that we have control of the association, we're going to try and work closely with them to sort out some of the issues if we can, or at least help, but mainly at this moment in time, we're focused on battle, which is in two weeks' time."
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Town set for Rowell Fair with milk, rum and scuffles
A market town is set to come to a standstill for its annual fair which involves playful scuffles and early morning Rowell Fair in Rothwell, Northamptonshire, is believed to more than 800 years from all over the town take part in the ceremony, which attracts large is part of a week-long celebration that started on Saturday. What happens during the Rowell Fair? It officially begins on the first Monday after Trinity Sunday, and the first proclamation is at the Holy Trinity 06:00 BST, the bailiff to the Lord of the Manor arrives with a guard of halberdiers, and reads the proclamation, which then is followed by the National in the town open at 06:00 serving, among other things, the traditional Rowell Fair beverage of rum and milk, which is offered to the makes several stops around the town to read the charter and is offered a drink at each take part in the play-fights in an attempt to "disarm" those taking the roles of halberdiers - or guards of the fair takes over the town centre for five days with rides, street entertainment, live bands, food and a range of stands and exhibitors. What is its history? According to the Rowell Fair Society, the event can be traced as far back as 1154 and it was granted a charter by King John 50 years proclamation was read by the bailiff, at six locations, and dates back to the reign of King James I in was from the 17th Century that entertainment began to replace the livestock fair and in the 19th Century that steam-power funfair rides began to Rowell Fair Society was formed 1968 to keep up the tradition and prevent the fair from dying name "Rowell" comes from the local pronunciation of the town of Rothwell, as well local people being known as "Rowellians". Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
