The High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA) has welcomed the publication of the long-awaited review of the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 published by the Ministry of Justice on 17th July 2023.
The 42-page document states there will be a one-off uplift of 5% to enforcement fees, which have not been changed since 2014, despite Government’s stated intention to review them annually at the time.
It also outlines a further consultation on a range of changes to enforcement charges and processes scheduled for this coming autumn.
Alan J Smith, Chair of the HCEOA, said: “This is a long overdue recognition that government has not kept to its own plan to review enforcement fees annually. As a result, while we welcome this report, we are disappointed not to see a larger increase to account for nine years of static fees, and we’re also surprised there appears to be no mechanism for or commitment to a regular fee review in the future.”
“The HCEOA Board will be taking its time to thoroughly review the full policy paper and we will be seeking clarification on a number of points, including how a future regular fee review mechanism would work, but in principle we are supportive of changes that modernise the system and continue to ensure a fair and proportionate enforcement system that works for creditors and debtors.”
He added: “Moving forward, we will constructively engage with the Ministry of Justice on the consultation proposed for the autumn as it is the detail of its proposals that will be key to ensure the long-term sustainability of the enforcement profession.”
You can read the Ministry of Justice’s ‘Enforcement Agent Fee Review 2023’ policy paper here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/enforcement-agent-fee-review-2023
