if a bailiff has seen something of mine can I sell it before he comes back to take it?

Answer 1

It is not illegal to hide your goods before a bailiff arrives unless the debt is for rent due. You can also hide goods at other peoples houses.

Once a baliff has made a walking possession order, you cannot hide or sell your goods.

If the bailiffs have already been in, you are committing an offence if you remove goods that they have said they will take. You can hide them on your premises but the bailiffs can search for them.

Answer 2

Some miss understandings being given here.

A bailiff normally has power to seize any asset owned by you with certain exceptions such as work tools and normal clothing etc. Therefore it is not confined to your house and for instance your car or motorbike could be seized. Airliners and ships are seized every year for example.

If the bailiff became aware you had put assets elsewhere to hide them then they could apply for a warrant from the court to enter that place to carry out the seizure.

Getting false receipts or trying to hide ownership by similar methods opens you to the charges of fraud, obstruction of justice, attempting to pervert the course of justice and other criminal offences. That can only make your position far worse and of course the friend helping you would not be a friend for long after they have been charged with criminal offences!

It is very silly indeed to try and cheat the bailiffs. There are a number of ways this can be an offence if the bailiffs are acting for or on the authority of a court and some carry prison sentences.

Items seized are sold at knockdown used prices so you will actually loose far more valuable items than the debts you have and there are usually recovery fees associated as well!

The only sensible thing to do when faced with bailiffs is first to try and agree a loan from your bank or elsewhere. Try and agree a system of paying off the debt on a monthly basis and finally if you cannot achieve that - cooperate with the bailiffs as even that may cost you less if they do not have to seize all your goods and they accept the ones you offer.

Answer 3

If you want!! They will still want money though and will find something else to take!!

But I just though of an idea!! If you get threats from a bailiff just move all your stuff into storage for a while so there is nothing that they can take!! Hehe!!

Answer 4

Unless they have photographic evidence, there's no proof you ever owned it. If it's an item in your personal possession and it hasn't been confiscated as evidence or anything, you're free do with it as you see fit. If you see fit to sell it, it may look suspicious, but ultimately it's not against the law to sell your own property.

Answer 5

Move them into storage and they can't do nothing. You can laugh at them as their faces drop at the sight of an empty house, i would say have a camera to capture the moment but they may take it out of spite

Answer 6

So far as I know baliffs are only allowed to take what is in the house. If he has seen something then my advice would be to remove it from your house and keep it at a mates or your parents or something. Its worth knowing that baliffs can only enter your property if you allow them. So when they come knocking. Simply dont answer the door

Answer 7

Yes as long as you show or make some contribution towards your debts.

Answer 8

if you can prove that it does not belong to you they cant take it (eg)get a Friend to provide receipts saying everything belongs to them other than that clear everything out and tell them to piss off.

Answer 9

yes

Answer 10

until they take it, its yours to with as you want. sell everyhing you own so they have nothing to take, that will really pee them off. :)