Warrant of execution
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How much can I issue a warrant for?
You can ask the county court bailiff to try to get back any amount up to £5,000. (This does not apply if you are enforcing an agreement regulated under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. These agreements can only be enforced in county courts.) You cannot ask the county court to issue a warrant for more than this, but you can transfer your judgment to the High Court. You can then ask the sheriff's officer to enforce the judgment.
If the amount you are owed is £600 or less, you cannot ask the sheriff's officer to try and get back your money.
You can get more information from the guidance About Bailiffs and Sheriffs'.
But if the amount you are owed is between £600 and £5,000 (unless you are enforcing an agreement regulated by the Consumer Credit Act) you have the choice of issuing a warrant in a county court or in the High Court. However, court staff cannot tell you which of the two options is more likely to get your money. You must make the decision. You may be able to get free advice from a law centre. A Citizens Advice Bureau or consumer advice centre can also help you decide.
Remember, bailiffs and the sheriff's officer cannot take action if the defendant has no goods to sell.
If you decide to issue a warrant in the High Court, you will need a 'certificate of judgment'. This has details of your case and says how much you are owed. To request this you need form N293a, a 'combined certificate of judgment to enforce the judgment by a writ of fi fa' (fi fa is the name for a warrant in the High Court). You can get Form N293a (PDF 233Kb) from this website or from any county court office. When you get form N293a, you must complete part 1, and send it to the court where the judgment was made. If you do not complete it fully the court may have to return it to you. You must state:
- the date of judgment and the amount the order was made for, including any additional costs allowed by the court since judgment; and
- the total of any interest that has accrued on the judgment, and if appropriate, the daily rate.
Please read the notes on both sides of the form.
High Court procedure is different from county courts and can be complicated and more expensive. You may want to get advice from a solicitor, law centre or Citizens Advice Bureau before you start this procedure. Some county courts are also district registries of the High Court. Staff there or at the High Court in London can tell you more about sheriffs.
Before you decide how to go ahead, you need to consider whether you are likely to get back the money owed and the court fee from the defendant. Remember, no court can guarantee that you will get your money back.