I have a judgment but the defendant hasn't paid

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Warrant of execution

A warrant of execution gives court bailiffs the authority to take goods from the defendant's home or business. Bailiffs will try to either:

• collect the money you are owed; or
• take goods to sell at auction.

You cannot ask the county court to issue a warrant if the amount you want the bailiff to collect is more than £5,000, unless you are enforcing an agreement made under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. (This is because regulated agreements can only be enforced in the county court.) But you can ask the sheriff's officer (through the High Court) to try to collect the money you are owed or to remove goods. The staff at any county court will be able to tell you what you need to do.

Bailiffs cannot always remove and sell the defendant's goods. For example, they cannot remove essential household items and tradesman's tools or goods subject to hire purchase or rental agreements.

The bailiff will not take the defendant's goods if they are not worth enough to pay the warrant after the costs of taking and selling the goods. Goods sold at auction often raise only a fraction of their original value. The defendant's goods may also already have been seized by bailiffs acting under another warrant.

For more information about a warrant, read the guidance How do I ask for a warrant of execution?