0:00:02 > 0:00:04If you're owed money, but aren't getting paid,
0:00:04 > 0:00:05it's time to call the sheriffs.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08My name's Mr Grix, my colleague and I are enforcement agents.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09I'm here to issue a High Court writ.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12I've got to do what I'm instructed to by the courts.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14They're enforcement agents of the High Court.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19And if a court's ruled in your favour, they're on your side.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22If the debtor doesn't want to pay...
0:00:22 > 0:00:25You currently owe £9,461.80.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28..the law says the sheriffs can get you what you're owed.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29If you don't come to the door,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31we have to remove the vehicle off the drive.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34You'll have a week to pay in full before it gets sold at auction.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Whether it's a small company...
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Can I speak to the person in charge please?
0:00:38 > 0:00:39..or a household name...
0:00:39 > 0:00:41We're here to see somebody from G4S.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44..if they owe you money, the sheriffs get it paid.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46I'm not going anywhere, you get him to come in here.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49We're not going to be waiting around like that, it needs to be done now.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50I just collected 42 grand.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55Coming up...
0:00:55 > 0:00:57when Stephen McKinnon moved to London,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59he was messed around by a lettings agent.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01I came home one day,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04and there was another person living in the living room.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06At this point, I'd had enough.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08His deposit was never refunded.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Can the sheriffs get him his money?
0:01:10 > 0:01:12As we're here, now, with a High Court warrant
0:01:12 > 0:01:14we have to insist on full payment.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Mechanic Dilwyn Stoole was sold a duff second-hand engine.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20It was in a dreadful state. The sump was smashed.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22There were parts of the engine broke.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25It really wasn't the engine that these people had promised me.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28But when the sheriffs enter the scrapyard which sold it to him,
0:01:28 > 0:01:29things get nasty.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36It's a dangerous place where you are, Mr Khan.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Tommy and Craig pay a visit to one of the country's best known
0:01:40 > 0:01:41engineering firms.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Can they get the money owed to a former worker?
0:01:44 > 0:01:47I need to speak to someone in finance. Is that possible?
0:01:56 > 0:01:59In London, enforcement agent Ken Warby is headed
0:01:59 > 0:02:01to a lettings agents in Camden.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04We're on our way to a place called Education For London Limited,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06trading as London Homes.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11The claimant has got a judgment against them
0:02:11 > 0:02:14for withholding a tenancy deposit.
0:02:15 > 0:02:16It's just over £5,000.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21The claimant is Stephen McKinnon.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24The saga began when he moved to London from his native Scotland.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29I'm actually from Glasgow. I do like to travel.
0:02:29 > 0:02:30Lived in Greece for a while.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Travel quite a lot to America and Europe.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35So, I decided to move to London,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37one of the biggest cities in the world.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40He'd got a new job, but needed somewhere to live,
0:02:40 > 0:02:44and found property hunting in the capital a daunting experience.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Compared to the prices back home...
0:02:46 > 0:02:51you know, I could get a mansion back home for the price of a studio here.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Online, he managed to find a two-bedroom flat-share
0:02:54 > 0:02:58he liked the look of in Belsize Park, in the north-west of the city,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01and arranged a viewing with the agents, London Homes.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Based in Camden,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06they're not to be confused with any other company of a similar name.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08The flat seemed perfect.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10It was a good size, it was a nice area that I liked.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11It was close to the Tube for work.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14There was another couple sharing another room
0:03:14 > 0:03:16in the property, which I was fully aware of.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18By the time I got on the Tube back to work,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21I'd decided that was going to be the flat for me.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26He signed a tenancy agreement, and arranged to move in.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29But the welcome into his new home didn't go as planned.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32It was the first time I'd been in the property since I viewed it.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33And I put the key in the door
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and opened the door and the chain was locked from the inside.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39They hadn't told the other tenants who were there that I was moving in.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43It turned out to be the first in a long line of problems
0:03:43 > 0:03:45with London Homes.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47About three weeks later,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50I had someone come to the door from one of the energy companies,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53basically telling us that the bills hadn't been paid
0:03:53 > 0:03:54for the property and therefore
0:03:54 > 0:03:57they were coming to switch off the electricity and the gas.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59The bills were supposed to be paid by the agents,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01as part of the contract.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Then there were the unwelcome wake-up calls.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Contractors coming out at 8.00 in the morning,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10basically coming to do work that we didn't know anything about.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11There was no warning, no nothing.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Basically just came in with their own keys,
0:04:14 > 0:04:15and started drilling holes in the walls.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19And things were about to get worse.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21I came home one day,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and there was another person living in the living room.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Yes, the agent had rented it out.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30There was now four people living in a two-bedroom flat.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33At this point, I had had enough.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35He tried to raise the issues with the agent,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37but with little success.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Basically just stopped talking to me.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41They stopped replying to e-mails,
0:04:41 > 0:04:42they wouldn't take my calls.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46And it got to the point where I just got fed up
0:04:46 > 0:04:48and basically said to them I would really like to end the contract
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and move out the flat.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52I tried to come to some kind of agreement with them
0:04:52 > 0:04:55about the rent. They basically said that I had a contract
0:04:55 > 0:04:57and they hadn't broken their contract,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59and that that was that.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01So, I eventually just cleaned the flat, took the keys back,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04got them to sign, just to say I've returned the keys,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06and I moved out a month earlier than I was supposed to.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Nevertheless, Stephen honoured his side of the contract
0:05:10 > 0:05:13and paid the final month's rent, leaving him out of pocket.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Then there was his deposit.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18I was expecting my deposit to be returned,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22cos the flat was in the same condition as it was when I moved in.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26And I expected to receive that within maybe two or three weeks
0:05:26 > 0:05:29of moving out of the property, if not sooner.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33But...that didn't happen.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36That left him another £1,000 down.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Time, he thought, to pay a visit to London Homes in person.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42So I decided just to go down to the agents
0:05:42 > 0:05:44and try and speak to the manager.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48The manager basically... came and spoke to me.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Halfway through the conversation, she up and left,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54and went into the back office and never returned.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56So I was sitting for about 20 minutes,
0:05:56 > 0:05:57waiting for her to come back out
0:05:57 > 0:06:00and eventually I had to ask someone else, you know, "Where is she?
0:06:00 > 0:06:02"What's happening? Is she coming back out?"
0:06:02 > 0:06:03And they told me she was in a meeting
0:06:03 > 0:06:05and wouldn't be able to continue the conversation.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Despite a number of e-mails and calls to the office,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Stephen never heard any more about his deposit.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Not receiving that money made it very difficult
0:06:14 > 0:06:18to the fact that I ended up moving back to Scotland.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22But Stephen hadn't given up on his money.
0:06:22 > 0:06:23And after doing some research,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26he realised that the agents should have put his deposit
0:06:26 > 0:06:29into a government-backed protection scheme.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Only, they hadn't.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34I was obviously quite angry that they hadn't followed, you know,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36followed the legal procedure that they should've done.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39So, where my money went, I don't know.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42And I presume it's in the company's bank account.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44But, you know, it should've been protected for me.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48On the plus side, that meant he was entitled to compensation.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Up to three times the value of the deposit.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53The only way to get it, though,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55would be to take the lettings agent to court.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57When the company didn't defend the case,
0:06:57 > 0:06:59he got the outcome he wanted.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02This is now nine months after I moved out of the flat.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05So, it just felt, you know, that I was getting somewhere with it.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09The court ordered that he be paid back his last month's rent,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11his deposit, and compensation.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13But London Homes never paid.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15I've now contacted the sheriffs.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17because they are basically my last hope.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26The company which owes Stephen money
0:07:26 > 0:07:29is actually Education For London Limited,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32which trades as London Homes from their office in Camden.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Sheriff Ken Warby is on his way there now
0:07:34 > 0:07:36to try to get the debt paid,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and he's anticipating a tricky job.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41As it's an estate agents,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43chances are you're not going to get too much
0:07:43 > 0:07:44in the way of assets there.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Usually the odd PC, bit of office equipment.
0:07:50 > 0:07:51But we'll see how it goes when we get there.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Ken's North London patch has its unique challenges.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59There's no parking outside the business.
0:07:59 > 0:08:00Let's have a look here.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03No, no, no.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07The joys of working in London.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11There we go, yeah. We can park here.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Ah, that's not going to happen, is it?
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Second time around the block.
0:08:19 > 0:08:20Ah, yeah.
0:08:22 > 0:08:23Bingo.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30After managing to bag a space, he heads in.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32The staff are busy with customers.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Ken's in no mood to hang around in the queue.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Excuse me, sir. Sorry to bother you. Is there anyone in charge here?
0:08:41 > 0:08:42I don't have an appointment, no,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44I just need to speak to the person in charge here.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50- Yes, sir, are you in charge?- No. - You're not?- No.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53There appears to be some confusion.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Nonetheless, the man seems willing to help.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59I need to speak to someone at Education For London Limited.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01- Yeah, yeah, we are they. - That's you?- Yes.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02Right, OK, my name's Mr Warby.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06An individual called Stephen McKinnon has a judgment
0:09:06 > 0:09:10against the company for, originally, £5,146.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Do you know about this?
0:09:14 > 0:09:17At first, the man says he knows nothing about the case.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19But Ken is able to jog his memory.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21You remember the name now, yes?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Well, I'm here now for the money in full.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27So, that's where we are.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Do you make the...
0:09:32 > 0:09:33Can you get him on the phone?
0:09:33 > 0:09:35OK, thank you.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40The boss of the company is apparently out to lunch.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42But the staff appear to be co-operative.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48They're going to get the boss on the phone and explain why I'm here.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I've told him I need payment in full now,
0:09:52 > 0:09:53so we'll see where we go with that.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57The boss can't be reached.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Instead, Ken is introduced to another senior staff member.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03- Hi, how are you?- Hello.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05- Hi, my name is Alejandra. - Hello, I'm Mr Warby.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10The woman says the company knew the tenant had been to court,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13but she says they didn't know the final details of the payment
0:10:13 > 0:10:17they needed to make. It also sounds like she can't pay today.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Of course. The problem you've got is if you don't pay...
0:10:31 > 0:10:35I have to list the items, and organise removal of them.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38The woman is asking if they can pay in instalments.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40But Ken is holding his ground.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42The situation's this.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46As we're here now with a High Court warrant, we have to execute it.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Unfortunately, we have to insist on full payment.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56What are you able to pay now?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00The woman does seem willing to pay,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02and with a substantial offer on the table,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05and few sizeable assets to remove in the office,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Ken is now willing to consider it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12OK, so you make the first payment, that will be 3,270.06.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15When are you looking to clear the balance of 3,270?
0:11:17 > 0:11:19On the 16th of this month.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Yeah, OK.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24- It will not kill me that much. - I can agree to that.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- I can agree to it. Everyone's happy.- Yes.- That's cool.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28OK.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31They've struck a deal, and it looks like half of the money owed
0:11:31 > 0:11:35will be paid today, with the rest to follow in a week's time.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37But to be on the safe side,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Ken will also get them to sign a controlled goods agreement
0:11:40 > 0:11:41for the assets here.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45I have to list items here as well and...
0:11:47 > 0:11:50..in case you don't do it and then we come back.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- LAUGHING:- Don't worry. - It's not going to happen,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55I understand that. It's just something we have to do.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Meanwhile, the employee gives his side of the story
0:11:58 > 0:11:59of how the writ came about.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14In this case, the court clarified that Stephen was owed
0:12:14 > 0:12:18more than £5,000. The man claims the company was never told.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34Additional fees and interest mean the bill's now more than £6,500,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37with the company stumping up half today.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43- KEN LAUGHS - That's all right, sir, thank you.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44What a nice chap.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47- Thank you very much for being so nice about that.- Pleasure. Bye.
0:12:47 > 0:12:48Bye-bye.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50All in all, it's been a successful visit.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53That's a good deal.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55They happily paid the half,
0:12:55 > 0:12:56I've taken that,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and I'm pretty convinced they will pay the balance within seven days.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03London Homes did pay the balance,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05and Stephen McKinnon got his money back.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08I'd just like to say thank you to the sheriffs,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10they've done exactly what they said they'd do.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12I've received all the money that was due back to me,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15so I'm absolutely ecstatic. It's been a long year.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18His message to other people is don't be put off.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21I've done all this without any help from, you know, lawyers,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23done a lot of research myself.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26And it just shows you that if you took the time and patience,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28you know, you can win.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32If you've been ripped off,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35and the person or company responsible refuses to pay you back,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39the first step is to make a claim in the County Court.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41It's simple to do this online,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44for a small fee, depending on the size of the claim.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48The court will review the evidence, and if it finds in your favour,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50the debtor will be ordered to pay up.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53If they don't, then for a further £66,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55the High Court will grant a writ,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58authorising the sheriffs to act on your behalf.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01If they're successful, you get all your money back.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08All too often, the sheriffs deal with cases
0:14:08 > 0:14:12where there's more than one company trading from the same address.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Debts owed by companies like these
0:14:14 > 0:14:17are among the hardest for the sheriffs to collect,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21as it can be difficult to determine which business owns the assets.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23In Manchester, Sheriff Alan Pennington
0:14:23 > 0:14:26is about to become embroiled in just such a case.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Yeah, I'm off to serve a High Court writ.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32The company's called Sal-Ford & Vauxhall Limited.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Sal-Ford & Vauxhall,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38which has no connection to the car manufacturer Vauxhall,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40owes £2,500,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43but the chances of getting paid aren't looking good.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46The company has applied to be dissolved.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Alan has been to visit once already,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50but found it shut.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52We did leave a letter at the first instance.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54We've had no reply from that letter.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Whether they've actually been back to the premises
0:14:56 > 0:14:59since we went the first time, I'm unsure,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02but it's one of those cases where we need to really make contact
0:15:02 > 0:15:05to try and get this resolved for the claimant.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10That claimant is lifelong mechanic Dilwyn Stoole
0:15:10 > 0:15:13from Newport in South Wales.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15He came into contact with Sal-Ford & Vauxhall
0:15:15 > 0:15:17when he was looking for a new engine
0:15:17 > 0:15:19for a second-hand car he was fixing up.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22I bought a Fiesta which had an engine problem.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25It was overheating, so, obviously, we had to replace the engine,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28so I thought, "Well, I'll put a nice, low-mileage engine in
0:15:28 > 0:15:29"and it'll last me a few years."
0:15:29 > 0:15:33To find the engine he wanted, he posted on internet forums,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35and received a number of offers,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37but one particular engine stood out,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40from a dealer based in the Manchester area.
0:15:40 > 0:15:4131,000 miles.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Came out of a very modern vehicle.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48Despite having lower quotes, I picked Sal-Ford & Vauxhall
0:15:48 > 0:15:50because they promised me this engine was a low-mileage,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52clean, tidy engine.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Dilwyn paid £705 to Sal-Ford & Vauxhall for a new engine
0:15:56 > 0:15:58in exchange for his old one,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01and within a few days, a van arrived with the new engine.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04The minute he dropped the pallet on the floor
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and I took off the wrapping, the engine was in a dreadful state.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10The sump was smashed. There were parts of the engine broke.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12I've taken a video which proves the problems.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- ON VIDEO:- 'The gold plug is snapped in the block,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17'and the injector is totally loose.'
0:16:17 > 0:16:18There was no vacuum pump on it.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22'This engine supposedly has done 30,000 miles,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25'and this is a clutch we've taken out of it,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28'and as you can see, it's on the rivets.'
0:16:28 > 0:16:31I honestly think this engine had done 130,000 miles.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33It was almost a scrap engine.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35It really wasn't the engine that these people had promised me.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Dilwyn wasted no time in ringing up Sal-Ford & Vauxhall to complain,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42and spoke to a woman there.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45On the Wednesday or the Thursday, some parts arrived,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47which were the parts I'd described to her as being broken.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49I immediately got on the phone to her and said,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53you know, that wasn't enough. I needed for the engine to go back.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55After a few days of bickering and barking,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58she promised that the engine would be picked back up.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00A week later, it hadn't been.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Back on the phone again.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04She explained there was another problem.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05The van wouldn't come down the lane.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09The excuses Sal-Ford & Vauxhall made were absolutely ridiculous.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Dilwyn was now £755 down,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15and still didn't have a working engine for his van.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Eventually, a cheque arrived from Sal-Ford & Vauxhall,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20but for just £250,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22so Dilwyn refused to cash it,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24holding out for the full refund he'd been promised.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28I was really, really polite. I wasn't going to wind anybody up.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30I wanted somebody to help me,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33but I was just fobbed off week after week after week.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35It was promises, and the engine wasn't forthcoming.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37It was never going to come.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40So, I'm probably into this the best part of a grand now.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43I'm thinking, "Whatever. Now I've got to go all the way."
0:17:43 > 0:17:44So, I did.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Dilwyn filed a claim against Sal-Ford & Vauxhall
0:17:46 > 0:17:48in the County Court.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50I won by default. They've lost the case
0:17:50 > 0:17:52and they're still not forthcoming with the money,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56so I'm really annoyed to think that this guy has supplied me
0:17:56 > 0:17:58with an engine that wasn't what he said it was.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00He's taken my money,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03he's made me send it back at my expense,
0:18:03 > 0:18:04and now he's doing a runner.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06And that's why the next step for Dilwyn
0:18:06 > 0:18:09has been to enlist the help of the sheriffs.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10You can ignore letters.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13You can't ignore someone who's there with an order
0:18:13 > 0:18:15and a bit of authority, you know, so...
0:18:15 > 0:18:18I've seen the programmes and I've watched the sheriffs in action
0:18:18 > 0:18:19and I'm still hoping that
0:18:19 > 0:18:22the sheriffs can go in there and retrieve my money, yes.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34Sherriff Alan Pennington is determined
0:18:34 > 0:18:36to get Dilwyn's money back
0:18:36 > 0:18:38before the company dissolution is completed,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40and its assets are gone,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43but will today be his day?
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Looks like the gates are padlocked again.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50Or maybe they're not.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53Let's just have a quick look.
0:18:56 > 0:18:57It's open.
0:18:57 > 0:18:58The gates are open after all,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00so Alan is allowed to go in.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02Hello?
0:19:04 > 0:19:05Hello?
0:19:05 > 0:19:08At first, there's no sign of life,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11but then a man appears, keeping his back to our camera.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Oh, hello, sir. Looking for Mr Khan.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17Mr Khan.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24This is Sal-Ford & Vauxhall Limited, yeah?
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Can you get him on the phone for me?
0:19:29 > 0:19:32I'm from the High Court. I've got a High Court writ.
0:19:34 > 0:19:35Thank you.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37Although Dilwyn applied for a writ
0:19:37 > 0:19:39in the name of Sal-Ford & Vauxhall Limited,
0:19:39 > 0:19:43the company's full name is Sal-Ford & Vauxhall Spares Limited.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45- Mr Khan is its owner. - Is he coming, bud?
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Is he coming?
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Thank you.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Alan's on the phone, when Mr Khan arrives.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56I'll explain to you in a minute, sir.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Mr Khan asks our cameraman to leave.
0:20:02 > 0:20:03Put the camera down.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07He tells Alan the business here is a different company,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and he's got the documents to prove it.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13He then marches him off the premises.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34- You go and get me your proof. - I will.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Obstructing the work of a High Court enforcement agent
0:20:37 > 0:20:40is illegal, and Alan gets straight on the phone.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Hello, sir. My name's Mr Pennington from the High Court Sheriffs Office.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Can I have the police, please?
0:20:50 > 0:20:52It's 1A Sutherland Street.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Meanwhile, Mr Khan walks off.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Just basically told me to get out of the property
0:20:58 > 0:21:01and for my own safety, I did that, but he manhandled me out.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04And Alan isn't impressed by Mr Khan's behaviour.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06He wasn't prepared to listen to me.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09He was being abusive and basically escorted me out,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11manhandling me to the gate.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13He's then left,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15and there are two other people still in the property.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18I've called for the police cos as far as I'm concerned,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20I've been assaulted whilst doing my duty,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and whether we speak to Mr Khan today again, I'm not sure.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27The company which sold Dilwyn the duff engine
0:21:27 > 0:21:29is based at this scrapyard,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33but it sounds like Mr Khan might have a second company here, too.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Finding out whether any assets belong to the debtor,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Sal-Ford & Vauxhall, could be tricky.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Now Mr Khan's returned brandishing some paperwork.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46I'll speak to you, Mr Khan, when the police arrive, OK?
0:21:47 > 0:21:50- Take my number.- You've assaulted... - I assaulted nobody.- Yes, you have.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52No, I haven't. I asked you to leave the premises.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53You've assaulted me, manhandled me.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56You've assaulted me and manhandled me out of the premises.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59- I escorted you out.- No, you didn't. - It's a dangerous place, mate.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01You can't be in there. That's why the gate's shut.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03It's a dangerous place where you are, Mr Khan,
0:22:03 > 0:22:04because you assaulted me
0:22:04 > 0:22:06- and forced me out of the premises. - I barely touched you.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Alan doesn't want to speak to Mr Khan without the police present,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14but they still haven't arrived, and Mr Khan's come back for more.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- You opened that gate and walked in. - That's right. It wasn't locked.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- You're not allowed to do that. - I'm entitled to move in.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22If it's open, I'll walk in peacefully.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24There's the stuff you need.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26- Let's see.- OK?
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Mr Khan hands over paperwork relating to his second company,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Sal-Ford Auto Spares Limited,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35including invoices for some of the items in the yard.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38There's an invoice for Sal-Ford Auto Spares.
0:22:38 > 0:22:39That's the company here.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Everything in there is owned by that company.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45With that, Mr Khan makes his exit.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46You've got my number.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51The gates to the yard are locked and the police never turned up,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53which means Alan's hands are tied.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55There's nothing we can do at this stage.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59I've only gone in the premises this morning because the gates were open.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00Those gates have now been locked,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03and I don't have right of access unless the court allow me,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06so I'll take direction from the office,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10over the next few weeks, and we go from there, really.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13The sheriffs now know this case is going to be tough to enforce.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16It's likely Sal-Ford & Vauxhall Spares Limited
0:23:16 > 0:23:18has few, if any, assets left.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Also, as Dilwyn didn't use the company's full name
0:23:22 > 0:23:24when he took them to court,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27the sheriffs are now concerned the debtor will use that
0:23:27 > 0:23:29as yet another excuse not to pay.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33They've advised Dilwyn to apply for a new writ,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36but instead, he's decided to let the matter go.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38It was disappointing.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Just annoyed to think this man has got away with
0:23:40 > 0:23:42what he's got away with.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Although Mr Khan remains
0:23:44 > 0:23:46the owner of Sal-Ford & Vauxhall Spares Limited,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48he told us that...
0:23:58 > 0:24:02It's 9am and Craig Wild and Tommy Coyle are in the van,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04travelling through the East Midlands.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06They're on their way to see a household name
0:24:06 > 0:24:09normally thought of as the best of British.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Rolls-Royce, in fact.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Rolls-Royce owes money as a result of a personal injury claim
0:24:15 > 0:24:16made by a former worker,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20who suffered hearing loss from operating machinery.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Although the company settled the majority of the claim,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26some legal costs are outstanding.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29£1,500. We're off there now to try and get the money.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32It's the aerospace division of the business
0:24:32 > 0:24:34that the sheriffs are visiting,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36but the name on the writ is just one part
0:24:36 > 0:24:38of a complex company structure.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41It's Rolls-Royce Industrial Power Engineering...
0:24:41 > 0:24:44(Overseas Projects) Limited.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46So, we've done a bit of digging.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49It is, as a limited company, non-trading,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52but it's part of a group of companies belonging to Rolls-Royce.
0:24:54 > 0:24:55This'll be a massive place, mate.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58I've got a feeling it's going to be big, yeah.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01It's not long before the Rolls-Royce complex comes into view.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Big old place, this, isn't it?
0:25:05 > 0:25:06It's all that over there.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12We want the main reception, don't we?
0:25:14 > 0:25:15The site's huge,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19so finding the right person to deal with is not going to be easy.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Time to start knocking on doors.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25Hello there, sir. I'm an enforcement agent.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Can I speak to someone from finance?
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- G wing?- G wing.- How do I get there? - Turn left.- Turn left.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- And head through this way. - Brilliant. OK, thank you very much.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Simple, easy-to-follow directions.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- Are you sure it's the G wing or G zone?- G something.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45G zone, G wing or something.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- G something like that, though, isn't it?- Yeah, I think so.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50- Is it that way or this way? - This way. This way, mate.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55C wing, this is. I'm sure he said G wing.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- Well, we'll try.- We'll ask in here.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01It's just a case of getting through to the right person, isn't it?
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- Somewhere this big.- These places always are, aren't they?
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Hello there. I need to speak to someone in finance.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09Is that possible?
0:26:11 > 0:26:13I don't think they do, no.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15They're not going to know I'm here, no.
0:26:19 > 0:26:20Thank you.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Despite being in the wrong wing,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25the sheriffs are offered a seat.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28and promised someone will come along to deal with them.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32I think he's finding whoever authorised that initial payment.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37As an £11,500 payment's already been made towards the claim,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39the guys are hoping the finance department
0:26:39 > 0:26:41will know the details of the case,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43but it might not be that simple.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Most people go, "Yeah, I remember him cos it's 11.5 Gs,"
0:26:46 > 0:26:48but 11.5 Gs to these is small change.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Moments later, we're asked to stop filming...
0:26:55 > 0:26:56..and we have to leave.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03After an hour of talking to various company representatives,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Craig comes outside to update us.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07As we thought,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09we've had to go through several layers of the hierarchy.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11They've found the details.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15The majority of the actual payment was made by Rolls-Royce's insurers.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20However, they've neglected to pay the court costs for the claimant.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24As the matter was being dealt with by its insurers,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28the Rolls-Royce staff are unsure why it hadn't been settled in full,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30but they've agreed to look into it,
0:27:30 > 0:27:31and an hour and a half later,
0:27:31 > 0:27:32Tommy and Craig are back.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37It's all about talking to the right person and going up the chain.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Yeah, we took some time, eventually got the company lawyer down.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42He agreed this needs to be paid.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45And now it has been, in full.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It's another successful result for the sheriffs.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53If we have the writ,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55the court's saying you have to pay it, and you will pay it.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Rolls-Royce told us, "Once we were made aware of the oversight
0:28:01 > 0:28:03"that led to the non-payment in this case, we..."