Equita: Should I pay debt collectors?

If you’re struggling with debt issues you may have received phone calls or letters from a company called Equita claiming that you owe them money.

This can be distressing, especially if you know nothing about the company who is contacting you.

In this guide we’ll explain more about Equita including who they are, why you might hear from them if you’ve built up debt to local authorities, and what you should do in response if you’re contacted by Equita bailiffs.

Who is Equita?

Equita is an enforcement agency registered in England and Wales that works on behalf of other organisations to recover unpaid debts.

Equita claims it’s one of the largest and most experienced enforcement agencies operating in the UK. Equita recovers debts on behalf of organisations including:

• Local authorities
• Utility companies
• Commercial landlords
• Solicitors

According to their website, Equita benefits from over 140 years of experience in the debt recovery industry, and deploys debt collectors right across the United Kingdom.

Is Equita a regulated debt collector?

Yes, Equita is regulated. Like many debt collectors, Equita is a member of the Credit Services Association (CSA), the largest regulatory body in the UK for debt collection and debt purchasing.

That means that Equita is subject to the rules and guidelines put in place by the CSA, and every enforcement agent acting on behalf of Equita should also act within these guidelines.

Because they specialise in debt recovery on behalf of local authorities, Equita are also members of the British Parking Association (BPA) and CIVEA, the Civil Enforcement Association.

Where is Equita based?

Equita is registered in England and Wales and based in Northampton in the East Midlands.

You can find their main UK office address below.

Registered office address

Equita Limited

42-44 Henry Street,

Northampton,

NN1 4BZ

Do Equita specialise in debt collection services on behalf of local authorities?

Yes. While Equita offers multiple services, one of their main areas of business is collecting debts on behalf of local authorities.

There are two main areas Equita focuses on, local taxation and road traffic violations.

Local taxation

Debts recovered by Equita bailiffs include unpaid council tax, National Non-domestic Rates and BIDS, arrest warrants, and void inspections.

Road traffic violations

The unpaid road traffic violations Equita work to recover include civil parking enforcement, breaching of clean air zones, bus lanes and congestion zones, as well as moving traffic violations.

Why would Equita bailiffs be contacting me?

Many debt collection firms in the UK collect debts that weren’t owed to them originally.

Instead, they purchase debt accounts from other companies (usually at a discount) and take over the responsibility for debt collection.

Equita specialises in collecting debts on behalf of other organisations, particularly local authorities and utility companies.

So if you’ve fallen behind on your council tax recently, or you haven’t been paying your gas and electricity, then an enforcement officer from a company may get in touch.

The most likely reason for this is that your original creditor (i.e. your local council, or your utility company) has passed the debt on to Equita, and Equita has now started the debt recovery process.

Should I repay outstanding debt to Equita?

If you can afford to, you should deal with money owed to debt collectors before your financial situation gets any worse or you’re threatened with bailiff action.

Before you rush to pay, make sure you gather all the details first.

Ask enforcement agents for proof of debt

The first thing to do when a company like Equita contacts you about unpaid debt is to ask for proof of the money you supposedly owe.

The debt collection agency should be able to provide you with details of how much money you owe overall, and give you information about who the debt was originally owed to.

Contact Equita about repayment

If Equita does provide you with proof that you owe money, you should arrange to repay your debt before the enforcement stage begins.

There are two ways of going about this.

Pay upfront

The easiest way to settle a debt to a debt collector is to repay what you owe in a single payment, which should put a quick stop to the enforcement process.

This isn’t an option everyone can afford, however if you have the money there are several ways to pay Equita, including paying online via the website, making a payment via BACS transfer, or posting a cheque to their Northampton business address.

Set up a payment plan

Arguably the most common way to repay a debt collector is to set up some form of payment plan where you repay what you owe in a timeframe that you can manage.

Companies like Equita are usually open to discussing gradual repayment plans.

They understand that many people don’t have the disposable income to repay a debt in one go, so as long as you offer to repay what you owe within a reasonable amount of time, they’re likely to accept.

What if I don’t repay Equita debt collectors?

Failing or refusing to repay debt collectors often leads to more trouble.

While private debt collectors like Equita don’t have any special legal powers, they can pursue you through the courts in a bid to force you to pay your debts.

They might do this through a form of court action known as a County Court Judgement.

County Court Judgement

County court judgements are court orders that creditors can apply for in the county court of England and Wales.

Put simply, a company like Equita can argue in front of the court that you owe them money and are withholding that money unfairly.

If the court agrees, they’ll issue a CCJ, which will order you to repay the money in question within a period of time dictated by the judge.

Any CCJ against you will be listed on your credit report for six years which will damage your credit rating.

Ignoring a CCJ will result in more court appearances and court fines, as well as even more serious court action being taken against you.

If you’ve been issued with a CCJ related to an unpaid debt, you should seek debt advice immediately.

Can Equita bailiffs come to my home?

Yes, it’s possible that as part of the debt recovery process, enforcement agents or bailiffs will visit your home.

Enforcement agents

Enforcement agents working for Equita have the right to visit your home in order to inform you of local authority or utility debts and seek repayment.

Enforcement agents can encourage you to pay them, however they don’t have any legal ability to coerce you to repay what you owe.

Bailiffs

If you’ve ignored County Court Judgements related to unpaid debts, bailiff action may be taken against you.

Bailiffs are the people who enforce court orders issued by the county court. As such, bailiffs do have legal authority.

If a bailiff visits your home over an unpaid CCJ, they have the right to use reasonable force in order to take control of your possessions.

Once they’ve taken control of your possessions, they can sell them at auction and use the proceeds to repay your debts.

Are there debt solutions that protect you from the debt collection process?

If you can’t afford to repay debt collectors like Equita, there are debt solutions available in the UK that can help you manage, or even write off, unaffordable debt.

Depending on your financial circumstances, a formal debt plan like a Debt Relief Order, Debt Management Plan, or Individual Voluntary Arrangement could help you deal with your debt while leaving you with enough money each month to pay for the essentials.

To find out more about how a debt relief solution could help you, give us a call today on 0800 0431 431.

Where can I get debt advice to help me deal with an enforcement agency?

Dealing with debt collectors is never fun. They can be threatening and intimidating, especially when you’re not sure what your rights are in that situation.

We have that expertise. At Creditfix, we have decades of experience helping people deal with debt collectors.

Our debt solutions can protect you and your family from predatory debt recovery tactics, and give you the peace of mind that your debt problems are being handled.

For reliable advice on how to protect yourself from debt collectors, talk to one of our friendly advisers today on 0800 0431 431.