County Court
Unlike the High Court or Crown Court, a County Court deals specifically with civil disputes: such as a breach of contract or debts, where neither party has committed a criminal offence. .
Applying to a County Court
If you’re owed money, you can seek a court ruling online at https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome or by sending a court claim form N1 to the County Court Money Claims Centre.
You have to pay a court fee when you apply. This ranges from £25 for claims of £300 or less, to £10,000 for claims above £200,000. If you win the case, you can claim the fees back.
County court hearings
Once the court accepts your case, a county court hearing date is set. When you’re notified of the date, you will also receive instructions outlining what you need for the case.
To prepare for the hearing, you’ll need to gather evidence. This could include things like invoices, proof of the products or services provided and correspondence with the debtor. Your evidence will be passed to the defendant and you will receive copies of their submissions, so you can fully prepare your argument.
County Court Judgment (CCJ)
A County Court Judgment, or CCJ for short, is the court order or ruling which must be obeyed. It is usually issued on the day of the hearing, and once issued delivered, it stays on public record for six years and will negatively affect their credit score.
A CCJ sets the deadline for payment. However, both sides do have 21 days to appeal the ruling. Appeals will only granted in the event of a mistake in interpreting the law or court procedure.
Enforcement
If the debtor doesn’t pay, county court bailiffs can be instructed to enforce the debt provided it is under £5000. However, it’s often faster to use a private High Court Enforcement Agent. As they’re paid with funds recouped from the debtor, they have a greater incentive to act quickly to collect the debt. Through its partnership with officers authorised by the Lord Chancellors department CRAR London can also transfer up debts of £600 or more for High Court Enforcement.
For more information about how we can help obtain and enforce a CCJ, or to find out more about High Court enforcement, CRAR LONDON today.
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