Episode 4 The Sheriffs Are Coming

-Meet the sheriffs.

-Let's introduce ourselves.

Got a High Court writ to attend here today.

If it's not paid we're going to remove the stuff.

Their job is to get you your money back.

It's about to get physical.

It's an arrestable offence to stop me doing my job.

If you've been ripped off and don't know where to turn...

We need to deal with it now.

We'll remove vehicles to that value.

If you're acting on his authority, pay it.

If you've been to court but still not been paid what you're owed...

Are you opening this building, sir,

or am I going to force entry into it?

You need to pay this.

..it's time to call the sheriffs.

-Don't put your hands on me.

-I'm going to call the locksmith,

effect entry into the premises and remove all the items.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

They're enforcement agents of the High Court...

..and the law says they're on your side.

Just collected 42 grand.

Coming up...

When former army medic Alan Trott

worked for a private ambulance company,

he wasn't paid what he was owed.

He just seemed to think by fobbing us off, we would go away.

Well, we weren't going to go away.

Can the sheriffs get Alan his money from the camera-shy company owner?

What's...? No. Not with the camera.

It's just...

In Birmingham, a Chinese education centre

owes a former student £34,000.

I'm here with a court order.

If you want to phone the police, that's your prerogative, sir.

The owners don't take too kindly to sheriffs Tom and Craig's efforts

to get the student back her money.

-Look, I know...

-Sir, get your hands off me.

And David Conway's car broke down minutes after he bought it.

When the sheriffs go in pursuit

of the money he's owed, tempers fray.

Get out. Everyone out the garage. I want these guys to leave.

They won't go.

Yeah, yeah, there's going to be a breach of the peace now.

On the road

and heading to a rendezvous with a difference this morning

are High Court enforcement agents

Lawrence Grix and Kev McNally.

We're in Morden in Surrey

and we are going to Medical Despatch Ambulance Services Ltd.

They're owing £2,947.

The man they're on their way to help is former soldier Alan Trott.

His time in the army left him with a valuable qualification.

I was a medic and I served in that role in the '91 Gulf War.

I was with a armoured field ambulance unit.

The armoured vehicles would bring back the casualties,

we'd treat them, then we would evacuate them to the, uh,

field hospital.

Alan, now runs first aid classes for the British Heart Foundation.

But after he left the army, he and his wife worked for

Medical Despatch Ambulance Services Ltd, run by Robert Burch.

The company hired out private ambulances

for concerts and major events.

We would go to the venue prior to the start of the concert.

If there was any accidents or any treatment we've got,

we would attend to them, give them the primary aid,

then call any back up from the ambulance services if needed.

And the company boss wasn't plain Mr Burch.

He had a title, Lord Robert Burch.

Early impressions of him were positive.

Quite a pleasant guy, quite friendly.

Told us what the company was about and it seemed fine.

We got on with him OK, you know?

-ALAN GIVES INSTRUCTIONS

-At first it was great fun,

helping people and seeing some top quality entertainment.

We had saw some really big groups like Iron Maiden,

er, Michael Buble.

But it also had its serious side.

I don't think it's any exaggeration to say

over the time that we worked for Medical Despatch, we did save lives.

But it wasn't long before problems started.

After a job, Alan was finding

he was waiting two or three months for the money to come through.

At first, Alan carried on working for the company

on an occasional basis, and was assured he'd get his money

but nothing came.

After nearly a year of working without being paid,

Alan and his wife called a halt.

That was the time we sort of said,

"We're now got going to do any more work until you...you pay us."

We offered them to pay us in instalments,

so we said "Pay us £100 a month, we don't care,

"as long as we get the money, you know?

"If you're having problems, just pay us a nominal sum

"until it's all paid off."

No response, nothing. They didn't want to know.

We were constantly being told,

oh, we had to speak to the accounts department

or the HR department,

this person and that person,

as if he was some sort of multinational company,

you know, instead of a guy working out of some semidetached

in Wimbledon.

Determined to get the money owed to him,

Alan took Medical Despatch Ambulance Services Ltd to court.

He just seemed to think by ignoring us or fobbing us off

we would go away.

Well, we weren't going to go away.

The company didn't contest the case

and a judgment was issued in Alan's favour,

but despite this, he still wasn't paid.

Luckily, he'd been watching telly.

By chance we had seen the programme The Sheriffs Are Coming

and we were quite impressed by the way they operated.

We decided these boys know their business

and we're going to use them.

And with Alan's writ in hand, it's now up to Lawrence and Kev

to get him his money back.

When Lawrence and Kev get to their target road,

it's not hard to spot which house they're looking for.

-There's one.

-There we go.

-That's a Ranger, isn't it?

-Yeah.

What's that one in there?

-This is the one they think is leased. Is that the Volvo.

-Yeah.

That is a Volvo, yeah.

Time to see if anyone's at home.

RINGING

Doesn't look like there's anybody in.

Hello? Yeah, Medical Despatch Ambulance Services?

My name's Mr Grix. I have a High Court writ

to execute against Medical Despatch Ambulance Services Ltd.

Would you like you to come to the door and speak to me, sir?

The man says Lawrence has the wrong company name.

He's not Medical Despatch Ambulance Services Ltd,

he's Medical Despatch Events Ltd.

Well, I've got a writ in the name of Medical Despatch Ambulance Services.

We're sent to any address in England and Wales

where the company has assets,

and we can see two of your assets here,

so you need to come out and deal with this, sir, please.

The man argues that the ambulances on the drive

aren't owned by the company

as they've instead been sold to himself personally.

You'll have some kind of proof of that, will you?

If it's true, it means Lawrence will be unable to remove them

if necessary to pay off the debt.

You're a director of Medical Despatch Ambulance Services Ltd,

you need to come and deal with this, sir.

I'll wait 5-10 minutes for you to get dressed then, sir.

While the company director gets dressed,

Lawrence and Kev turn to the two ambulances on the drive.

It looks likely they do belong to the company,

but will the company director agree?

He's a lord, by the way.

-Say again.

-He's a lord.

A lord?

Officer's title, lord.

-Hello there.

-All right there?

-Hi, sir.

-I'm going to show you some ID.

-Hello there. Right.

And there he is, Lord Robert Burch.

-Not with the camera.

-He's just...

But the camera-shy lord isn't keen on talking in front of us.

He asks if we're still filming.

Which we are.

Back inside the house, Lord Burch finds paperwork

he says proves the main ambulance has been sold to himself -

a receipt.

But when the receipt comes out through the letter box,

Lawrence thinks it proves quite the opposite,

that the car is actually in the company's name.

You've signed it on behalf of the company

but it says "full name",

and it's got "Medical Despatch Ambulance Service".

This says it's sold to Medical Despatch Ambulance Service.

Why did you put Medical Despatch Ambulance Service on it then?

Lord Burch says he put the company name on the receipt

to make it eligible for road tax exemption,

but this is a red rag to a bull for Lawrence,

who thinks this proves the car is owned by the company,

which means he can remove it if necessary.

So it has to belong to Medical Despatch Ambulance Service

and not you as an individual...

-To be exempt from tax.

-..in order to be exempt from tax with the DVLA.

The director disputes this,

insisting the ambulance is not a company vehicle

but rather his personally,

and that it would be eligible for road tax exemption either way.

You need to make up your mind. You're contradicting yourself.

It's either a company vehicle and that's why it's exempt.

Can't have it both ways.

No, you can't have it both ways.

Absolute rubbish.

To try to get Alan Trott his money,

Lawrence ramps up the pressure further

by going after the second, more valuable, ambulance.

Lord Burch says it's also privately owned,

and therefore, Lawrence can't take it,

but Lawrence isn't convinced.

We need to see the proof of purchase of that.

Your invoice there is in the name of the company

that we're looking for.

As it stands at the moment, as far as we're concerned,

that is a company asset.

If you're saying it isn't, you need to provide proof of that

and you need to provide it now.

Either way, Lord Burch says he can't pay today.

Well, then it's going, OK?

As it stands at the moment,

you've shown me purchase paperwork for the Ford Ranger there

in the name of the company.

Lord Burch heads inside to look through his paperwork

to try and prove where the money's come from

that paid for the ambulances.

He's off digging out his bank statements

to show that he personally made the transfer of funds

paid for the vehicle.

And if he manages to do that...

..then there's not a lot we can do.

This enforcement is at a key moment and Lawrence knows it.

Whether he can get Alan back his money

now depends on the paperwork Lord Burch is able to provide.

But after consulting his records, the director is unable to produce

any proof that he has personally bought the ambulances.

With Lawrence on the verge of towing away his vehicles,

Lord Burch decides to act.

Lawrence is put on the phone to the company accountant.

Hello, sir.

Hello there. Yeah, it can be done by bank transfer.

Payment has gone through.

There's your copy of the receipt.

That went quite well in the end. The money will be in the account

within the next hour or so,

so I've issued a conditional receipt,

and providing that does hit the account,

then we've no need to come back.

It might be job done for Lawrence and Kev,

but for Alan, it's time to celebrate receiving the £1,900 he was owed.

We've received from the sheriffs the full amount that was owed,

plus the interest, plus all our expenses,

so, in the end, Medical Despatch have had to pay out

a lot more than if they'd just paid us in the first place

with a lot less hassle.

Really, really good news.

Robert Burch told us he did not know about Alan Trott's court action

because the court summons was sent to an old address.

He said he only became aware of it when it reached the High Court

and went to the correct address.

He reiterated that the ambulances on his drive were privately owned

and only loaned to the company

and stressed that they met all DVLA requirements for road tax exemption.

He said he had now made full payment and considers the matter closed.

On a bright morning in the Midlands, sheriffs Tom Coyle and Craig Wild

are in pursuit of a business

that's likely to challenge Tom's linguistic prowess.

Right, we're in Birmingham today.

We're after a David Zhang...

..and Shidai Education.

It's £34,311.74.

The £34,000 Tom and Craig are hoping to collect today

was awarded by the court to a former pupil who was in dispute

with the Shidai Education Centre.

But they haven't paid up, so the sheriffs have been ordered in.

This is the Chinese Quarter.

Got the Chinese supermarket there.

Brilliant for your spices and all your food.

That's it, that massive thing there. Yeah.

It's all Chinese businesses and that in there.

Their powers mean that if the money is not forthcoming,

Tom and Craig will remove goods to be sold at auction

to clear the debt.

"Xiang."

Zhang.

-Sussed it.

-Zh...

But first, they have to find the company directors named on the writ.

HE HUMS

LIFT: Doors closing.

Hello.

I'm trying to get in contact with a Mr David Zhang.

My name's Mr Wild and we're from the High Court.

Is, um, Zhang Sh...

-What's on the door.

-Yes, it's...

-That's here?

-Yes. Two different names on the...

-Two names there.

-Two names.

-And...and the company here? Yes.

Shidai Education, is that yourself?

-Yes, is this.

-Right.

-Yeah.

Is the boss about?

-Is David Yuen Zhang...

-Yuen Zhang.

-WOMAN: I have no idea about that.

-Oh, right.

-So...

-We are trying to connect to the boss now.

-OK, no problem.

-Would you mind to...

-Well, what we have to do...

-Yes.

The court order commands us to obviously stay here

until it's resolved.

Finally, someone arrives but he's accompanied by security.

Sorry?

Who are you, sir?

Oh, right. My name's Mr Wild, I'm an officer of the High Court.

-SECURITY: Right, yeah.

-I'm here today with a court order.

Craig's credentials have an instant effect on the security man,

leaving the new arrival looking for other ways

to get rid of the sheriffs.

If you want to phone the police, it's your prerogative.

Not a problem at all.

But this is a civil recovery action

against the education company here...

-Yeah.

-..as well as also a David "Ju..." Zhang.

Who's he then?

Right.

Have you ever heard of the lady called...

Craig points out the name of the claimant,

who wants to remain anonymous.

A student.

-Yeah.

-Well, she has taken David Yeun Zhang...

-Yeah.

-X... Tang and the Shidai Education,

which is the company here, to court,

and I'm here with a court order to collect...

..the sum of £34,311.

We have contact through the High Court cos that's not our business.

Well, it is your business, sir. It says it all on the lines there.

-And you're Mr...?

-Why do you record my name?

The man seems reluctant to give his name,

but he is familiar with the case.

We said to the court and the court says it's nothing to do with us.

-Well, show me...

-We've got all the paperwork.

-Well, you show me the paperwork then, sir.

-Have a seat. Have a seat.

I'll carry on doing my job cos this order's telling me

to carry on doing my job.

Are you saying you've received paperwork from the High Court

saying that we're not to come out and execute this order?

Cos I don't think you have.

Look, I'm going to carry on doing my job if the money isn't paid.

Excuse me, sir.

The man heads off,

apparently to find the High Court paperwork.

Meanwhile, Tom and Craig start listing the company's assets

with a view to removing them later if need be.

-ST2.

-ST2.

-08.

-08.

-100.

-100.

It's a significant task if they're to raise over £34,000.

No serial number on that one.

Later, we'll see how the Shidai Education Centre

takes to Tom and Craig's attempts to recover the money.

-Hey, oh...

-Sir, get your hands off me.

This morning, sheriffs Marc Newton and Tony Smith

are heading down the M4 into Wales.

We've going to the National Engine Centre

in Cardiff.

Total amount outstanding is £4,164.83.

The sheriffs are on their way to help David Conway

and his wife Dorothy from Billingham, in Teesside.

He's been retired for the past 20 years

and now loves to spend his spare time...

flying.

This is my hanger, these are me pride and joys.

Noddy's my best, yeah.

The planes are part of my life. They're very important to me.

You know, I've crashed dozens and dozens.

This is my latest.

I'm known as Crasher Conway because I've had so many crashes.

As his enthusiasm for his hobby has grown,

so has the size of his planes.

If David wanted to keep his hobby on the straight and level

he needed to buy a car to transport the planes in.

He decided the perfect vehicle was a Renault Grande Espace.

At the National Engine Centre in Cardiff

David thought he had found the car he so desperately needed.

I'd seen the car, um, online.

The car was in good condition.

One previous owner and I really wanted this car,

I didn't want any other car,

so I got on the train and went and got it.

It was an exhausting 600-mile round trip

from Billingham to Cardiff

but David really wanted the car.

When he arrived at National Engine Centre,

David wanted to try the Espace.

He was allowed to take it for a brief test drive.

I thought it was a nice car so I went ahead and bought it.

The Renault Espace cost David £2,500,

all the savings he and his wife had.

But it was only four miles down the road when disaster struck.

The car started losing power and eventually it stopped.

Stranded with a barely-working car somewhere in Cardiff,

David didn't know where to turn.

Fortunately, he was able to get the car back to the garage

and he asked for a refund

but the garage said if he wanted one

he'd have to leave the car in Cardiff

and wait till Monday when appropriate staff could process it.

I couldn't leave the car there and leave my money there...

..so I had to bring the car back.

With no refund,

David realised he would have to nurse the car 300 miles back home.

It took me over seven hours to drive back home in it.

Really was horrendous.

Desperate to find out what was wrong,

David took the car to a local garage.

They diagnosed the problem as a dodgy engine control unit,

and a faulty valve in the exhaust system.

They couldn't give me an exact price

but they said it could go into thousands.

David immediately contacted the National Engine Centre,

hoping for a quick resolution

but none could be agreed.

It left him with the undrivable Espace grounded outside his home,

constantly reminding him of the ordeal.

It's put so much pressure and stress on my wife and I.

David was left with no option

but to take National Engine Centre to Court.

They failed to show up

and a judgment was issued in David's favour.

The garage applied to have the case set aside,

but, once again, were absent, and David won the case.

Despite victory, David still hasn't received a penny.

With nobody left to help, it's now down to the sheriffs

to answer David's distress signal.

Tony and Marc have found the National Engine Centre.

-There it is, there.

-It's quite big, isn't it?

They head in to try and get David the money he's owed.

-Hiya, mate.

-Morning.

It's about a High Court writ that's been issued by a David Knox Conway.

The claimant has sent us out to collect the money.

-Can I speak to my boss? I don't want any problems.

-Yeah, no worries.

We'll wait.

While the man heads off to get his boss,

Mark is already getting a bad feeling about the job.

I said, "Is that the National Engine Centre?" He said, "Yeah,"

and then he said he doesn't work here.

Are you after me?

-National Engine Centre.

-National Engine Centre.

Can I have a look?

It's not us, mate, see you later.

Who's that? Who is it then?

-That's not us.

-Well...

..it says National Engine Centre up there.

Yeah. What does it say on the end?

-It says Limited.

-Yeah.

The man claims that the name on the writ, National Engine Centre,

isn't here.

The company trading at these premises

is Nat Engine Centre Limited.

Then cheery-bye.

After a less-than-warm welcome, our camera is asked to leave.

The conversation carries on in the office,

where the man - Mr Peter Anderson - denies being the company director

of National Engine Centre, or Nat Engine Centre Limited,

but he refuses to find any proof.

Then things start to rev up at the Engine Centre

as Mr Anderson shouts across the yard to his colleagues.

SHOUTS: All right.

Get up. Everyone out the garage.

I want these guys to leave, they won't go.

Yeah, yeah, there's going to be a breach of the peace now.

But it seems his staff aren't quite as keen to go toe-to-toe

with the sheriffs as he thought,

so he calls the police instead.

He's actually being quite awkward at the moment. He's...

Unfortunately, he's not cooperating at all.

He's called the police and said there's been a breach of the peace,

which there hasn't really, but we're just waiting for them to arrive now.

20 minutes later, the police arrive.

Hiya.

While Mr Anderson talks to the law, Marc and Tony take stock.

You know, the police are telling him he needs to pay,

otherwise we're going to carry on and start removing the goods

so that's where we are, we're just waiting to see...

..what happens, whether we can budge him into getting to pay some money.

Marc's been looking at what's available to remove,

and phones the office to tell them

about the substantial stock of engines.

There's loads of engines, I mean loads.

When I say loads, I mean loads.

There's loads of them out there. There's hundreds of them.

Marc offers the man an ultimatum -

pay the debt, or say goodbye to the whole lot.

Tony's ordering up a truck.

It's going to be a big one.

Seven and a half tonner will probably be enough,

but then you're going to need a forklift

cos he won't let you use his forklift, telling you that now.

He's the most difficult person I've ever met.

But with the tow truck on its way and his engines

about to leave the premises,

Mr Anderson has a sudden change of heart.

Though Mr Anderson isn't admitting WHO owns the engines,

he is offering to pay.

Finally, the sheriffs win the battle of wills

and head back to the office for payment.

Let's go, get out of Wales.

Mr Anderson has paid £1,250 today

and promises to put a payment plan in place to cover the rest.

Not as great as we wanted but we got £1,250 in cash off him here, so...

it's a start.

And, not long after, the National Engine Centre

paid the full amount owed.

David Conway is on cloud nine.

The money has enabled him to settle his debts

and buy the car of his dreams...

another Renault Grand Espace.

The sheriffs have come along and really done the business.

Yeah, over the moon.

The National Engine Centre told us

they had offered David a refund the day he visited

and it was his decision to instead have them repair the car

and drive it home.

They said they'd later sent him a replacement part

and offered to pay for a local garage to fix the problem.

They'd also, again, offered him a refund if he returned the car.

They said it was Mr Conway's decision

to turn down these options and instead, pursue court action.

They said they had tried to contest the case

but that the court had lost papers.

They said following the sheriffs enforcement

they had again offered to pay the balance

if the car was returned to them,

an offer, they say, Mr Conway chose to reject.

The sheriffs are High Court enforcement agents.

They have more powers than county court bailiffs

to try and get money that a court says is rightfully yours.

And we do at this stage have power to call the locksmith if needs be.

No, no, no.

We're higher than a bailiff.

They can enter residential properties

through unlocked or open doors.

-Hello, mate.

-Yes?!

-Don't put your hands on me.

And at commercial properties

they can even force entry using locksmiths.

And if the debtor still won't pay up...

Take the keys, look after them until we get payment

and they can have the keys back.

..they can remove their goods to sell to pay off the debt.

If you don't pay us,

then we've got a lot of stuff to take out of here

to clear the debt.

A high court writ costs £60.

If the sheriffs are successful, there's nothing more to pay.

Keys for this van now, so we'll keep them.

If they're unsuccessful,

the only cost is a compliance fee of £75 + VAT

for each enforcement.

Today, the sheriffs are in Hackney, East London,

where a property belonging to the Hackney Joint Estate Charity

has been occupied by squatters.

The charity rents out buildings to finance its work

with disadvantaged people in the borough,

but with the squatters in place, there's no income.

That's your hat I've got here. You must have mine.

All right.

Sheriffs Lawrence and Kev are part of a team

who must get the squatters out.

And they're being a bit quieter than usual.

It's just coming up to six in the morning. We're in Hackney.

Um, we're at the rendezvous point.

We're just waiting for some of the others to arrive.

Then we'll be moving in...

..covertly. If we go in nice and early,

hopefully we'll catch them in bed.

Then they won't have time to respond. We'll catch them unawares.

For now, the team is sticking to the softly, softly approach.

Job one is to enter the building...quietly, if possible.

Just don't want to be shouting and hollering, making loads of noise.

Don't want to alert them to us,

don't want them to barricade themselves in or anything.

Don't know if you can get a crowbar in there.

Zip it in there.

They can't budge the lock, so they're going to force the door.

BANGING

As expected, the noise attracts attention.

BANGING

Do you want to come down to the door, please?

-All right.

-Good morning.

One of the squatters has come down to open the door.

How many of you guys in here?

Do you want to start waking up your friends

-and tell them to start packing up? Yeah?

-WOMAN: Yeah.

OK, thank you very much.

I've got one guy in there.

OK, I'll give you a little bit of time to pack.

You've got about an hour to get your stuff together.

-OK? One in there and one in there.

-One there as well.

The squatters have hacked into the electricity supply

and it's a serious risk.

You know, I don't want to get an electric shock.

-MAN: I don't want to go near this.

-It's been earthed and everything.

It's all cabled. It's all been jumped.

And you can see bare electrics everywhere.

You don't know what's live and what isn't

so you just don't touch anything really.

It's gardening...

The home-grown cannabis plants

suggest that at least some of the squatters

have been here a while.

The priority is making sure they are all accounted for,

then getting them to pack up their things and move out.

Everyone packing?

There's four people on this floor and they're packing their stuff up.

Everyone here at the moment is OK.

So, just trying to keep it all on a level.

The eviction is going well

but this is only half the job.

The writ includes the adjoining property,

also occupied by squatters.

Open the door!

They aren't co-operating and won't open the door.

The sheriffs take action.

Lawrence applies his boot

and then it's the same routine as next door.

Morning. Speak English? You don't speak English?

You do speak English? You understand, yeah?

OK. Pack your belongings and leave.

They know the position.

They know there's a writ of possession

and they know they're going.

So, you can... You know, just give them a bit of time

and they'll go peacefully.

-MAN: I'm guessing we haven't really got time for a cup of tea.

-No.

I'll be back for that plant.

You'll have to make everyone a cup of tea if you're doing that.

-How many is there?

-15.

-No, you're all right.

HE LAUGHS

In this building too,

Lawrence spots the telltale signs of horticultural activity.

This is a little hydroponic cupboard

for growing a cannabis plant.

There's quite a few cannabis plants being grown around the place.

There's obviously illegal activities going on.

Definitely a bit funky.

They have got a lot of stuff.

This guy reckons he's been here a year,

so unless he gets removal trucks in,

he's going to be here all day, which we're not going to be around for.

The sheriffs believe there could have been over 25 squatters

in the two properties.

We have to search every bit of it.

You do get people hiding.

It's been known before,

you come into the most grotty bit

and you find somebody hiding in a corner

thinking they'll get away with it

and let their friends back in later on.

Now they've all gone and the building can be handed back.

Took us a little while to get in because it was a...

One of them was a very, very secure metal door...

..but once we were in, they just left.

Locksmiths are securing the building

to make sure it can't be re-occupied.

The owners say it will be re-developed very soon,

with rental income paying for the work of the charity.

It's been a textbook operation for the sheriffs,

thanks in part to the cooperation of the now former squatters.

In Birmingham, Tom and Craig

are still at the Shidai Education Centre,

trying to get over £34,000 on behalf of a former student.

-SCQ.

-SCQ.

While they wait for an employee to come back

with the promised documents,

they've been listing the company's assets,

with a view to removing them later if need be.

-Zoostorm.

-Zoostorm?

-Yep.

We can, sir.

No, excuse me. Excuse me.

You cannot take... Oh, hey...

Sir, get your hands off me.

-Anything, if it's damaged...

-That's fine, sir.

I told you what we're here for today.

-You were just getting this paperwork, wasn't you?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

With Craig and Tom doggedly listing the computers,

the man, again, heads off.

Shortly afterwards, a solicitor turns up.

Hello, sir.

My name's Peggs, I'm a solicitor.

The solicitor wants to have the case explained to him

away from our camera.

Craig tells the solicitor that he's been listing goods

to remove and auction if need be, to pay off the debt.

But although the message was taken on board,

a quarter of an hour later, nothing's happened.

With no company director, and no money, it's back to plan A -

time to turn off the computers.

Do you want to start shutting this one down now?

I want to start packing this away from this end.

I'm sorry, I'm not waiting any longer.

SHE TALKS ON PHONE

They're in the lift? Right.

-Hello again.

-Hello. Can we have another quick word?

Yes, by all means.

The solicitor is back.

He explains that the woman waiting outside

is one of the company directors

and she's agreed to make a payment of 10,000 of the £34,000 debt now.

It's a great result for the former student and for Craig and Tom,

whose persistence has paid off.

As the payment goes through,

the solicitor wants to put the company's side of the story.

My name's Regan Peggs. I'm a solicitor.

The company does not accept that it owes this debt to the claimant,

and in fact, there are three defendants on this order.

They don't accept that

they're linked to the other two defendants either.

It's their intention in due course

to apply to have the order set aside.

Um, from a practical point of view of course, they've had to...

They know that they need to open up tomorrow,

so they're paying £10,000,

which they will hope to reclaim in due course.

-Thanks for your time.

-Thank you very much.

-Take care.

The sheriffs are walking away with a third of the debt paid,

and have listed goods on paper to guarantee the rest

until the case is settled satisfactorily.

To be fair and honest with you, there were ten desks and ten chairs

-and ten computers...

-Limited value.

-..of, you know, limited value.

And to walk out of there with £10,000, it's a good result

compared with the fact

that the asset value in the premises was minimal.

And, since we filmed, the £10,000 payment taken by the sheriffs

was accepted in full and final settlement by the former student.

The case is now considered closed by all parties.

Even when the sheriffs successfully enforce a writ

and the debtor pays up, it's not always the end of the story.

This morning Lawrence and Kev are in the van

heading for a familiar location.

We're heading towards St Albans now.

It's just coming up half past ten in the morning.

We're going to Mediterranean Leisure.

Last year, Lawrence visited the company offices

on behalf of Matthew McWilliams.

Matthew had been a ski instructor

for an associated company, Snowcoach.

It was his dream job.

Well, I started skiing when I was eight.

It really is something that I care about,

so as soon as I had the chance to leave university,

I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

But Matthew soon discovered the job wasn't what he expected.

He was having to deal with complaints from unhappy customers.

Lots of them.

All the problems were being put on me.

And I felt as if I had to come up with the excuses

for a company that I don't even work...

That I had only been working for for a week.

As the season unfolded, it got worse.

Back home, Matthew's dad, Lawrence,

realised things were going badly wrong.

He was very concerned. He wished he was not in the situation

and he felt an awful lot of stress.

After three difficult and unhappy months,

Matthew felt he had not option, but to leave the company.

He handed in his notice, which he worked out, and came back to the UK.

But Mediterranean Leisure hadn't paid him his final wages.

And despite many reassurances, they still weren't paid.

With Dad Lawrence's help,

Matthew took the company to an employment tribunal.

It may have been a bad experience, but I left... I worked my notice.

I did it... I did everything I needed to do,

so I knew that they owed me that money.

There was no way out of it, really.

At the tribunal, Mediterranean Leisure failed to contest the case,

and the judgment was issued, ordering them to pay the £647 wages.

When they failed to do it, Matthew eventually turned to the sheriffs.

And so, ten months previously,

Lawrence and Kev paid Mediterranean Leisure a visit.

I've got a High Court writ to execute today

-against Mediterranean Leisure Group.

-OK.

Managing Director David Stewart threw a spanner in the works,

insisting Mediterranean Leisure was not based here, but in France.

He said nothing in the building could therefore be taken.

Lawrence was having none of it and eventually won the day

with the money being paid to the sheriffs.

He just paid in full.

Matthew's dad, Lawrence McWilliams got the good news

that the money was in the sheriffs' account,

but the McWilliams' delight was short-lived.

We received a formal notification from the High Court

that an interpleader claim had been received.

The payment was being disputed.

The money was still in the sheriffs' holding account

and would stay there until this new legal action was complete.

David Stewart, of Mediterranean Leisure, claimed

that the payment made to Lawrence was invalid

because he had paid on a credit card

belonging to one of his other companies,

Mountain Lodge Hotels Limited,

that had nothing to do with Matthew's employment.

The McWilliams' would have to appear at the High Court

and if they lost, might have to pay costs.

There are times, particularly lying in bed at night,

where we both thought, "Are we doing the right thing?

"Should we just give up here?"

But we kept coming back to the same conclusion.

He was entitled to the money. He should have been paid it

and that we would do what was required to get justice.

At the hearing, Mr Stewart was unable to show

that the payment was invalid.

It meant the money Lawrence had previously taken

could be released to Matthew McWilliams.

But Lawrence and Kev are heading back to St Albans,

because that wasn't the end of the matter.

David Stewart has ignored the Court's order

for him to pay court costs,

which were far more than the original wages.

So, today, it's the sheriffs' job to get that money.

We've got two writs today.

We're looking for one for £602.30 on one of them

and £1,688.67 on the other.

The second writ is for the sheriffs' own court costs.

-Is that where he was, up there?

-Yeah.

Buzzer.

Hello there, I'm looking for Mountain Lodge Hotels

or Cantabrica Air Brokers.

The woman says that there's no-one there from those companies.

My name's Mr Grix. I'm here with some High Court writs,

so I need to come in and verify for myself

that there's nobody in.

While they wait for the door to be opened,

Lawrence wants to make sure all entrances are covered.

Just have a squiz around the back, mate.

Just in case cos I don't know if there's a back door.

Meanwhile, the intercom woman has news.

Lawrence isn't getting in.

Your director says you're not allowed to let me in...

because of what?

Lawrence is convinced he's found the place

the companies on the writ are trading from

and that means he will be going in.

I have met Mr Stewart before.

He's got five minutes to call me before I call locksmiths.

OK? Thank you.

There's a back door, but it's padlocked from the outside,

so it's not used. There's three motors down there. Nothing any good.

The director says she's allowed to let me in

cos it's a different company.

Who's your director? Mr Stewart. The director of our companies.

With Lawrence's ultimatum about to run out, he gets a call.

Hello, Mr Grix speaking.

Oh, Mr Stewart. Yeah. It's Mr Grix.

But Mr Stewart doesn't want to let Lawrence in.

Right. Well, I'm going to call the locksmith, then, sir.

Effect entry into...effect entry into the premises

and remove all the items.

OK, then, sir. You do that.

He's calling the police.

See if Andy's around?

Yeah, give him a buzz, mate, and see if he's around.

It looks like the sheriffs will have to use their power

to force entry to a commercial premises.

Kev calls one of the lock companies they regularly use.

Yep, he's on his way. Sat Nav's giving him 15 minutes, so...

Lovely jubbly. Might as well sit in the van and have a coffee then.

I reckon.

A caffeine break later, and there's still no sign of Mr Stewart.

But his solicitor is on the phone.

We're effecting entry into a commercial premises

under a High Court writ.

If you don't understand all the implications of that

and what it carries with it,

then I respectfully suggest you speak to somebody who does.

Rest assured, we will be forcing entry

if we're not allowed peaceful entry and we will be removing goods

from those premises today if these writs aren't paid in full.

Right. Bye-bye.

With the locksmith on the way

and the prospect of the bill getting even higher,

someone comes out of the building to talk.

-Hi. How can you pay it?

-Bank transfer, credit card...

-Debit card.

-Is that what he's going to...is that what he's going to do?

Well, that's what I'm trying to persuade him to do, yeah.

And to prove the sheriffs weren't bluffing, here comes the locksmith.

The lock father.

The lock matching vans, innit?

But just in time, the company confirms they are going to pay.

-And how much did you say it was for the card?

-Debit card, is it?

-Yeah.

-£5.

-£5.

Our camera is asked to stay outside

while Lawrence goes to collect the payment.

And moments later, it's mission accomplished.

Full payment again. I like that.

Onto the next one. Let's rock.

It's been another battle between Lawrence

and the company director David Stewart...

..but a successful one.

He's got young ski instructor Matthew McWilliams

the court costs a judge said he was due,

but which he couldn't get without the help of the sheriffs.

Sheriffs Darryl Oreton and Mark Povey are in East Anglia

about to bring some unwelcome news

to a firm in the demolition business.

Just coming into Suffolk now. Company called KT Demolition Ltd.

They've been sued in the High Courts by another company.

And we're there for just under £9,000.

The company took KT Demolition to court

for work it carried out for them,

but for which it wasn't fully paid.

KT Demolition contested the claim,

but the court awarded in the other company's favour.

But they've still not received the money they're owed.

So now, it's up to Darryl and Mark, to get it for them.

Arriving at KT Demolition's trading premises,

it's clear they're not dealing with a multi-national.

DOG BARKS

-Afternoon.

-Hello.

I guess you're Keith Totman? We've got a High Court writ.

It's not against you. It's against your company, KT Demolition Ltd.

-Right.

-We've come out today to collect the...

the amount, which is just under £9,000.

-You aware of this, of...?

-No, I'm not.

You're not aware of the debt at all?

-I am because I went to court over this.

-Right.

-Right and the court...

The court then...

..turned round and sort of, like, mauled us straight out of court.

-Right.

-But that is it.

But that's not what the court documents say.

-See, we've got the original judgment case.

-Right.

Where the debt was...

You've been ordered that the judgement for the claimant is £6,869.10

-and also to pay £250 costs payable within 14 days.

-Right.

Because you haven't done that.

-I don't know anything about it.

-Right.

-I mean, did you attend the court hearing?

-Yeah.

-I did.

-On 28th May?

-Yeah, I went, in Norwich.

-Right.

-I offered to pay an amount so much.

-Yeah.

-I didn't...

I didn't refuse the debt or nothing. All right? So, I said yeah...

I'd pay, but he wouldn't accept it.

He wouldn't accept it!

-He wouldn't accept instalments?

-He wouldn't... No.

-Right.

-No, he wouldn't.

-He wanted it in one go.

-No, he did and I didn't have it.

-Right.

-So what do you do when you haven't got it?

Whatever Mr Totman's excuses, Darryl needs the debt pay in today.

-So, what are you going to do now?

-We would possibly remove assets.

Is this is where you are trading from, is it, yeah?

What about the vehicle, is that in your name or the company name?

-The company.

-That's in the company name?

-Yeah.

Do you want to try? Do you want to try making some phone calls?

I mean, that's...that's more than nine grand, that is.

-That is, yeah.

-Yeah.

Would you be not better off trying to get the money raised

as opposed for us taking...

removing that today?

Darryl's being as helpful as he can.

If he has to, he'll take the Range Rover to pay off the debt.

But it would be easier for him, not to mention cheaper for Mr Totman,

if he could raise the cash another way.

We'd rather give you a bit of time now...

I know you say you don't know anybody with that money,

but get on the phone, make some phone calls, see what you can raise.

Rather than us phoning a truck

to come and collect your vehicle straightaway.

At this stage, Darryl and Mark are invited in

to speak to Mr Totman in private.

We're asked to stay outside.

DOGS BARK

Soon after, Mr Totman's wife arrives to help him out.

Faced with a High Court writ, two sheriffs in his house

and a very vulnerable-looking Range Rover on his drive,

it doesn't take Mr Totman long to realise this debt isn't going away.

After discussions with his wife,

they agree to pay on her credit card.

Do you want it on credit or debit? Giving him the option.

The money goes through without a problem.

Keith Totman, meanwhile, wants to put his side of the story.

I feel sick.

Absolutely sick. When I offered to pay the man,

he wasn't satisfied with that.

He wanted the whole lot in one hit.

Like I said, "I can't do it."

So, next thing, I'm in court.

I told them on the paperwork when I went to the Courts

and told them what the score was.

Went to Norwich and they slung it out.

-Next thing, you boys are on my doorstep

-(BLEEP)

-wanting the money,

which I've just paid.

DOGS BARK

I'll put my Jack Russells on you.

Where are you, Jack?

It's a good score for Darryl and Mark

and means the company that brought the case

will finally get the money that's rightfully theirs.

Sheriffs know they can't always trust the things

that debtors tell them.

More often than not, they have to use their judgment

to assess the best way to deal with a situation.

Someone who trusts his judgment more than most is Sheriff Lawrence.

Today, he and Kev are in Cambridgeshire

to help a car owner get £6,000 from garage owner Stuart Pearson,

who trades as Arrington Motors.

The lady bought a dodgy car from Mr Pearson.

She returned it and asked for a full refund,

which he agreed to, but then he hasn't paid.

Customer Laura Windley took the case to court.

Stuart Pearson didn't contest it

and the judgment ordered that she should receive her money.

But she hasn't been paid, so she's got the sheriffs in.

Lawrence knows a thing or two about second-hand cars.

I've bought a couple of lemons in the past.

Sliced them up and put them in my gin and tonic.

HE LAUGHS SILENTLY

This is what I have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.

Arrington Motor Company.

But at Arrington Motors,

there's no sign of the defendant Stuart Pearson.

-We're here early.

-Uh-huh.

-It's shut, isn't it?

-Yeah.

But conveniently, Mr Pearson has left his phone number.

Kev does the honours.

Hiya. Is that Mr Pearson?

Yeah, we've got a High Court writ against yourself

and we're here to remove goods unless the amount is paid.

All right. Cheers. Bye-bye.

He's about 40 minutes away.

Mr Pearson says that most of the cars on the forecourt are on SOR,

or sale or return, but a number do belong to him.

If they don't get payment today, the cars could be towed

and auctioned to get Laura her money back.

So, you got that. That's his.

-That one.

-Yeah, the Range Rover's a bit rough.

-Yeah.

But their listing of vehicles is brought to an end

by the arrival of the garage owner himself.

-Mr Pearson.

-I'll show you some ID.

We're asked to stay outside.

Since Kev's phone call,

it seems Mr Pearson has been arranging to get the money.

Mr Pearson says he's going to pay in cash,

but it will take an hour for the man he's borrowing it off

to come round with the money.

While they wait for him,

he points out the cars that are held in his name.

Mr Pearson's been OK with us, but I've obviously explained

that we're not going to go anywhere until it's paid.

So, it's now just a case of waiting for a phone call from his friend.

But it's not going to happen any time soon.

The friend is delayed and the money won't be here until more like 6pm.

Lawrence has had enough for today.

There are seven cars belonging to Mr Pearson

with enough value to clear the debt.

He lists all seven of them.

They'll stay here,

but could be removed and auctioned at a later date

to clear the debt if need be.

Basically, it's a case of trust. I trust him.

I've given him until noon tomorrow to pay in £6,000

and then the balance just after the weekend.

And I have no doubt he will do that.

If I had any doubts, I wouldn't have made the arrangement.

Famous last words possibly, but we...we usually get it right.

We are fairly good at judging people by now.

But Lawrence's faith in Mr Pearson turned out to be misjudged.

Neither the £6,000 nor the balance was paid.

It means some weeks later, Sheriffs Darryl Oreton and Mark Povey

have been sent to finish the job.

If need be by removing the listed vehicles.

As Darryl and Mark arrived at Arrington Motors,

there's no sign of Mr Pearson.

There's no-one here.

Darryl calls Mr Pearson's mobile.

It is international, isn't it?

He's on holiday.

The only way Darryl will get the money today

is to use the sheriff's ultimate sanction

and tow away Mr Pearson's cars for them to be auctioned.

When Lawrence and Kev were here, they listed seven vehicles

and these are the ones Darryl and Mark will take,

but first they have to find them.

Ford KA's there.

There's no red Range Rover, is there?

That's the Kia. That's there.

That's the Renault Phoenix. So, we've got one, two...

We've got three.

Several cars, now owned by the Court, aren't there.

It looks like we've got four missing.

Obviously, we've tried to get a hold of him. He's not here.

Just three cars still here,

so we're going to have those three removed

and we're organising a removal truck...

or two...

or three.

Oh, well. Might as well get comfy.

After a bit of waiting around, the tow truck arrives.

With no-one from Arrington Motors on site,

there are no keys or documents available for any of the cars.

This makes them less valuable at auction,

but there's a more immediate issue.

How to move the keyless cars without damaging them?

The recovery man makes short work of the KA.

Not to be outdone, Darryl tries the boot of the Renault.

Ta-da! HE LAUGHS

But Darryl isn't having any luck with the Kia.

I ain't got the magic on this one.

At last, the end is in sight.

The first two cars are being towed, and the problem of the locked Kia

will be sorted out by the recovery firm.

He's going to take these to a storage place now,

so we can go to our next job.

But following the cars' removal,

there were no further payments from Mr Pearson.

The cars were therefore auctioned.

Although they didn't raise quite as much as the debt,

it meant the sheriffs did manage to get Laura Windley

at least some of the money she was owed.