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-Meet the sheriffs. -My name's Mr Grix, my colleague and I are enforcement agents. | 0:00:02 | 0:00:05 | |
It's to do with a High Court order... | 0:00:05 | 0:00:06 | |
They work for the High Court, and if it says you're owed money, | 0:00:06 | 0:00:10 | |
it's their job to go and get it. | 0:00:10 | 0:00:12 | |
I'm here for £6,072.18. | 0:00:12 | 0:00:16 | |
They can demand payment on the spot... | 0:00:16 | 0:00:18 | |
I'm here for the full balance. | 0:00:18 | 0:00:20 | |
How are you going to pay it? | 0:00:20 | 0:00:21 | |
..or remove assets instead. | 0:00:21 | 0:00:24 | |
The car will be going unless you can pay it. | 0:00:24 | 0:00:26 | |
You'll have a week to pay in full, before it gets sold at auction. | 0:00:26 | 0:00:29 | |
Obstructing their work can be a criminal offence. | 0:00:29 | 0:00:33 | |
I wouldn't do that if I were you. | 0:00:33 | 0:00:34 | |
The door needs to stay open. | 0:00:34 | 0:00:36 | |
Every year in England and Wales, | 0:00:37 | 0:00:39 | |
unpaid debts totalling more than £80 million | 0:00:39 | 0:00:42 | |
are recovered by the sheriffs. | 0:00:42 | 0:00:45 | |
Coming up... | 0:00:49 | 0:00:51 | |
Mark Parsons bought a duff Alfa Romeo. | 0:00:51 | 0:00:54 | |
It was pushing water out the expansion tank, it was misfiring. | 0:00:54 | 0:00:58 | |
The thing was, that he didn't want to pay up. | 0:00:58 | 0:01:01 | |
Lawrence visits the car dealer and lays down the law. | 0:01:01 | 0:01:04 | |
As it stands at the moment, it's still an active company, | 0:01:04 | 0:01:07 | |
you're still the director of it, | 0:01:07 | 0:01:08 | |
so it's 100% your responsibility to deal with it. | 0:01:08 | 0:01:11 | |
The sheriffs take on a group of squatters | 0:01:11 | 0:01:13 | |
in the heart of central London. | 0:01:13 | 0:01:15 | |
-Devil worship! -THEY ALL SHOUT | 0:01:15 | 0:01:18 | |
Devil worship! | 0:01:18 | 0:01:19 | |
In 30 minutes' time, you are going to be leaving this property. | 0:01:19 | 0:01:24 | |
Lawrence and Kev chase an insurance pay-out | 0:01:25 | 0:01:27 | |
for a family involved in a car crash. | 0:01:27 | 0:01:30 | |
Just as I was approaching a roundabout, | 0:01:30 | 0:01:32 | |
the guy came out from the left and there was no way I could get out the way. | 0:01:32 | 0:01:35 | |
And Tommy and Craig track down a vet who owes money to a former employee. | 0:01:35 | 0:01:41 | |
Here we go. Mrs Mulvey? She's still living here, isn't she? | 0:01:41 | 0:01:44 | |
While most of their workload involves unpaid debts, | 0:01:48 | 0:01:51 | |
High Court enforcement agents can also act | 0:01:51 | 0:01:53 | |
in cases of unlawful occupation of land or property, | 0:01:53 | 0:01:57 | |
commonly known as squatting. | 0:01:57 | 0:01:59 | |
And early this morning the sheriffs | 0:02:00 | 0:02:01 | |
are gathering in a car park in Camden, in central London, | 0:02:01 | 0:02:05 | |
to enforce one of these jobs. | 0:02:05 | 0:02:07 | |
We've got a double gate roughly there, yeah? | 0:02:07 | 0:02:10 | |
A single gate there, the double gate is where we're going to go in. | 0:02:10 | 0:02:14 | |
Under the guidance of team leader Mark King, | 0:02:14 | 0:02:17 | |
they're here to evict a group of squatters | 0:02:17 | 0:02:19 | |
who've set up camp on a nearby plot of land. | 0:02:19 | 0:02:22 | |
Not sure what it was originally - | 0:02:22 | 0:02:24 | |
maybe a garden centre or something like that. | 0:02:24 | 0:02:26 | |
I believe the people were allowed in to stay there first off, but, | 0:02:26 | 0:02:31 | |
for whatever reason, the client now wants the land back. | 0:02:31 | 0:02:33 | |
The squatters are thought to have been there for at least two years. | 0:02:33 | 0:02:37 | |
The owner of the land has been unable to persuade them to leave | 0:02:37 | 0:02:40 | |
peacefully, and so now has obtained a writ of possession, | 0:02:40 | 0:02:43 | |
authorising the sheriffs to get the site back for him. | 0:02:43 | 0:02:47 | |
We're looking at about 30, possibly 40 people in there. | 0:02:47 | 0:02:51 | |
Not sure until we get there, to be honest. | 0:02:51 | 0:02:53 | |
I had a look past this morning, | 0:02:53 | 0:02:56 | |
the gate isn't even locked. | 0:02:56 | 0:02:57 | |
It could be that they've all gone. | 0:02:57 | 0:02:59 | |
We'll see when we get round there. | 0:02:59 | 0:03:01 | |
The squat's a short drive away, and it has a number of entrances, | 0:03:03 | 0:03:07 | |
so the sheriffs are splitting up. | 0:03:07 | 0:03:09 | |
Andrew, give me an update, mate. Are you by gate three? | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
Right, everybody ready, yeah? | 0:03:12 | 0:03:14 | |
And once they're all in position... | 0:03:16 | 0:03:18 | |
-Right, we all fit? -..it's time to go in. | 0:03:18 | 0:03:20 | |
Right, let's go. | 0:03:20 | 0:03:21 | |
As expected, they have no problem getting past the gate, | 0:03:30 | 0:03:34 | |
but before they rouse the occupants, | 0:03:34 | 0:03:36 | |
they want to be sure they've got the whole ground covered. | 0:03:36 | 0:03:39 | |
The tent's going to be over the other side there, | 0:03:39 | 0:03:41 | |
so you go and sort that. | 0:03:41 | 0:03:42 | |
Give us a shout once you're round there. | 0:03:42 | 0:03:44 | |
Once the site's secure, | 0:03:44 | 0:03:46 | |
they issue the wake-up call that's every squatter's worst nightmare. | 0:03:46 | 0:03:50 | |
High Court enforcement. | 0:03:50 | 0:03:51 | |
High Court enforcement. Time to wake up! | 0:03:51 | 0:03:54 | |
High Court enforcement. | 0:03:54 | 0:03:55 | |
-Morning, mate. -High Court enforcement. | 0:03:55 | 0:03:57 | |
All right? | 0:03:57 | 0:03:58 | |
You need to pack your stuff up, you need to vacate, OK? | 0:03:58 | 0:04:01 | |
Quick as you can, please. Thank you. | 0:04:01 | 0:04:02 | |
The dazed occupants have been caught off-guard. | 0:04:02 | 0:04:05 | |
Pack your stuff up as quick as you can. | 0:04:05 | 0:04:06 | |
And at first glance, | 0:04:06 | 0:04:07 | |
it doesn't look like they're planning to cause any trouble, | 0:04:07 | 0:04:10 | |
but the sheriffs aren't going to be letting their guard down until they | 0:04:10 | 0:04:12 | |
know exactly what they're dealing with. | 0:04:12 | 0:04:15 | |
How many have we, do you think? | 0:04:15 | 0:04:16 | |
I don't know yet, but they're all over the place. | 0:04:16 | 0:04:19 | |
They're up in the attic on this bit. | 0:04:19 | 0:04:22 | |
The site is littered with makeshift structures, | 0:04:22 | 0:04:24 | |
so it's hard to know where people might be, | 0:04:24 | 0:04:27 | |
and the last thing the sheriffs want is any surprises. | 0:04:27 | 0:04:30 | |
Open the door, mate. | 0:04:30 | 0:04:32 | |
Yeah, I'm on that. | 0:04:32 | 0:04:33 | |
-I'm packing up, brother. -OK, all right, OK. | 0:04:33 | 0:04:36 | |
If you can just leave the door open. | 0:04:36 | 0:04:38 | |
-Yeah. -This fella here, he's going to stay with you, | 0:04:38 | 0:04:41 | |
just make sure you're getting on with it, OK? | 0:04:41 | 0:04:43 | |
-How long do we have, brother? -We're going to give you about an hour. | 0:04:43 | 0:04:46 | |
-OK? -OK. -All right, thank you. | 0:04:46 | 0:04:48 | |
At first, it seems the squatters are cooperative, if a little eccentric. | 0:04:49 | 0:04:53 | |
They're quite happy, aren't they, most of them? | 0:04:58 | 0:05:00 | |
They're sort of free spirits, aren't they, I suppose? | 0:05:00 | 0:05:02 | |
I suppose that's what you call them. | 0:05:02 | 0:05:04 | |
But Mark might have spoken too soon, | 0:05:04 | 0:05:06 | |
as one occupant seems to be dragging his heels. | 0:05:06 | 0:05:10 | |
Have you got all your stuff? | 0:05:10 | 0:05:11 | |
I've got it here somewhere, but I'm not very happy about it. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:15 | |
Well, I'm sorry I've upset you, but get on with it. | 0:05:15 | 0:05:17 | |
Have you got a family home? | 0:05:17 | 0:05:18 | |
-Yeah, they're all in bed at the moment. -Yeah? | 0:05:18 | 0:05:20 | |
-Just get on with it, mate. -Don't touch my arm. I'm going. | 0:05:20 | 0:05:24 | |
Right, you need to start packing your stuff up. | 0:05:24 | 0:05:26 | |
Yeah, I've done it already. | 0:05:26 | 0:05:27 | |
-I don't care... -You were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. Please listen. | 0:05:27 | 0:05:31 | |
I said I've packed it up already and I'm going to pick it up and leave. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:34 | |
Rather than standing around arguing, can you actually show me you're doing that? | 0:05:34 | 0:05:37 | |
-I'm not arguing, I'm just telling you friendly. -If you carry on, you'll be removed from the site. | 0:05:37 | 0:05:41 | |
No-one was expecting the squatters to be pleased, | 0:05:41 | 0:05:44 | |
but the sheriffs need to be on the lookout for tempers running out of control. | 0:05:44 | 0:05:48 | |
There's an element of wounded pride, so you can almost expect them to | 0:05:48 | 0:05:52 | |
push back a little bit, but it's just how far. | 0:05:52 | 0:05:55 | |
One man, who's been living in a tent in the yard, | 0:05:55 | 0:05:58 | |
is refusing to pack his things | 0:05:58 | 0:06:00 | |
and is claiming the eviction isn't legal. | 0:06:00 | 0:06:02 | |
I'd love to speak to you in truth and honour, | 0:06:02 | 0:06:04 | |
because I know that this documentation is unlawful. | 0:06:04 | 0:06:07 | |
I've studied law for three decades, | 0:06:07 | 0:06:09 | |
and I unfortunately know that the entire legal system | 0:06:09 | 0:06:11 | |
of your country is now in such gross fraud that we've stood away from it. | 0:06:11 | 0:06:15 | |
Take a breath, mate, take a breath. It's a High Court writ, OK? | 0:06:15 | 0:06:18 | |
Stamped by the court. | 0:06:18 | 0:06:19 | |
The man claims that the squat has declared itself | 0:06:19 | 0:06:22 | |
an independent country, so he isn't bound by English law. | 0:06:22 | 0:06:26 | |
You want to kill me, | 0:06:26 | 0:06:28 | |
you want to exile me from the land I've built for the last three years, | 0:06:28 | 0:06:31 | |
which we found abandoned. | 0:06:31 | 0:06:32 | |
-It's not your... -..and brought back to life. -The land doesn't belong to you. -The land is God's. | 0:06:32 | 0:06:36 | |
But a philosophical debate isn't on the sheriffs' agenda. | 0:06:36 | 0:06:39 | |
-At ten to six... -No-one wants to hear. | 0:06:39 | 0:06:41 | |
..that's in 30 minutes' time, OK, | 0:06:41 | 0:06:44 | |
you are going to be leaving this property. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:46 | |
If you want to take your stuff with you... | 0:06:46 | 0:06:47 | |
-How do I live? -..you need to start to pack it up. | 0:06:47 | 0:06:49 | |
-You've got 30 minutes. -How do I live? | 0:06:49 | 0:06:52 | |
The sheriffs can use reasonable force if necessary, | 0:06:52 | 0:06:55 | |
but it's a situation they'd rather avoid, | 0:06:55 | 0:06:57 | |
so Mark is hoping his ultimatum will have the desired effect. | 0:06:57 | 0:07:01 | |
I've explained to him what he needs to do. | 0:07:01 | 0:07:05 | |
He's not really listening, so I think... | 0:07:05 | 0:07:06 | |
I've given him 30 minutes to start to pack up. | 0:07:06 | 0:07:08 | |
If he's starting to pack up within those 30 minutes, fine. | 0:07:08 | 0:07:11 | |
We'll see at ten to six, see what happens. | 0:07:11 | 0:07:15 | |
Later, can the sheriffs persuade the man to leave peacefully? | 0:07:16 | 0:07:20 | |
The projected image that this man's sending to me | 0:07:20 | 0:07:22 | |
is absolutely despicable. | 0:07:22 | 0:07:24 | |
You know I read minds, don't you? And I read yours, | 0:07:24 | 0:07:26 | |
and it's not pleasant. Please, take it away. | 0:07:26 | 0:07:29 | |
In the south-east, enforcement agents | 0:07:34 | 0:07:36 | |
Lawrence Grix and Kev McNally are on the road. | 0:07:36 | 0:07:39 | |
They're on the outskirts of London, | 0:07:39 | 0:07:41 | |
heading to what looks like a bread-and-butter job, | 0:07:41 | 0:07:43 | |
but which is about to become much more complicated | 0:07:43 | 0:07:46 | |
than they might imagine. | 0:07:46 | 0:07:48 | |
We're in Croydon today. | 0:07:49 | 0:07:50 | |
We're going to Pinewood Used Cars Limited. | 0:07:50 | 0:07:53 | |
We're looking for £3,424 today. | 0:07:53 | 0:07:57 | |
We believe this is to do with the sale of a second-hand car. | 0:07:57 | 0:08:00 | |
The claimant in the case is Mark Parsons, | 0:08:02 | 0:08:04 | |
a garage worker from Luton with a passion for Italian cars. | 0:08:04 | 0:08:08 | |
His involvement with Pinewood Used Cars Limited | 0:08:08 | 0:08:11 | |
began when he was looking to buy an Alfa Romeo | 0:08:11 | 0:08:14 | |
and found them advertising one for sale. | 0:08:14 | 0:08:16 | |
The car was going to be a second car. | 0:08:16 | 0:08:18 | |
It was just for, like, going out at the weekends or, you know, | 0:08:18 | 0:08:21 | |
if we needed it. From the picture in their advert it looked like a very | 0:08:21 | 0:08:25 | |
nice car, and they gave a very good write up of it. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:27 | |
It was a red Alfa, so who doesn't like red Alfas? | 0:08:27 | 0:08:30 | |
Mark made the trip down to Croydon, | 0:08:35 | 0:08:37 | |
where he met the garage's boss, Adam Neave, | 0:08:37 | 0:08:40 | |
and a salesman called Ryan, who showed him the car. | 0:08:40 | 0:08:43 | |
It was in very good condition. | 0:08:43 | 0:08:45 | |
I work in a garage, so I've got a generally good idea of cars. | 0:08:45 | 0:08:48 | |
I checked it through quite thoroughly, | 0:08:48 | 0:08:50 | |
but everything seemed to be all right. | 0:08:50 | 0:08:52 | |
They said, "Do you want to test drive it?" | 0:08:52 | 0:08:53 | |
but the thing was that there wasn't much fuel in it, | 0:08:53 | 0:08:55 | |
it was right on empty, so you couldn't really take it anywhere. | 0:08:55 | 0:08:58 | |
So I just took it 500 yards down the road, | 0:08:58 | 0:09:00 | |
turned round and came back again. | 0:09:00 | 0:09:03 | |
Mark liked what he'd seen, paid £4,000 for the car | 0:09:03 | 0:09:06 | |
and drove it home. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:08 | |
The car drove OK, but when I got here, outside my house, | 0:09:08 | 0:09:13 | |
I stopped and there was steam coming out the bonnet. | 0:09:13 | 0:09:16 | |
Straightaway, Mark phoned up Pinewood Used Cars Limited. | 0:09:16 | 0:09:19 | |
I told them what had happened, and they said, | 0:09:19 | 0:09:22 | |
"Oh, it's just a twisted hose or whatever". | 0:09:22 | 0:09:23 | |
I said, "No, I think the head gasket's gone on this car". | 0:09:23 | 0:09:26 | |
They said "No, it's just a twisted hose. Take it to your local garage". | 0:09:26 | 0:09:29 | |
Mark did exactly that. | 0:09:29 | 0:09:31 | |
His local garage agreed it was a head gasket | 0:09:31 | 0:09:34 | |
and said it would cost £1,300 to fix. | 0:09:34 | 0:09:37 | |
But when Mark phoned Pinewood they said they could | 0:09:37 | 0:09:40 | |
get it done cheaper, and collected the car. | 0:09:40 | 0:09:43 | |
They had the car for two weeks and brought it back, | 0:09:43 | 0:09:46 | |
but the car was still exactly the same. | 0:09:46 | 0:09:48 | |
It was pushing water out the expansion tank, it was misfiring, | 0:09:48 | 0:09:51 | |
it was just doing exactly the same things as what it was before. | 0:09:51 | 0:09:55 | |
When he complained, Pinewood Used Cars Limited did offer him a refund, | 0:09:55 | 0:09:59 | |
but minus £500. | 0:09:59 | 0:10:02 | |
He was saying that he'd had costs involved, | 0:10:02 | 0:10:04 | |
that he'd had to come and pick the car up from here. | 0:10:04 | 0:10:06 | |
I was quite annoyed, because the car wasn't fit for purpose, | 0:10:06 | 0:10:10 | |
so they are supposed to pay you | 0:10:10 | 0:10:13 | |
the exact price that you paid for the car, not knock £500 off it. | 0:10:13 | 0:10:16 | |
Mark decided to get a second opinion | 0:10:16 | 0:10:18 | |
and took the car to an Alfa specialist. | 0:10:18 | 0:10:21 | |
They said that the head gasket had gone, which I knew already, | 0:10:21 | 0:10:24 | |
and they said, "No, you can't take the car away, | 0:10:24 | 0:10:26 | |
"because if you drive the car, | 0:10:26 | 0:10:28 | |
"the water will get into the oxygen sensors and it will ruin the engine. | 0:10:28 | 0:10:31 | |
"So you've got to keep the car here". | 0:10:31 | 0:10:33 | |
Three or four days later they rang me up to say the car was done | 0:10:33 | 0:10:36 | |
and the bill to fix the car was £2,260, | 0:10:36 | 0:10:40 | |
and I tried to get in contact with Pinewood but they just ignored me. | 0:10:40 | 0:10:44 | |
For months, Mark tried to get the matter resolved | 0:10:45 | 0:10:47 | |
with the help of the Citizens Advice Bureau, | 0:10:47 | 0:10:50 | |
but he couldn't get the company to agree to pay for the repair, | 0:10:50 | 0:10:54 | |
leaving him more than £2,000 out of pocket. | 0:10:54 | 0:10:57 | |
I found it quite hard, because it was upsetting. | 0:10:57 | 0:10:59 | |
You know, you work in garages, | 0:10:59 | 0:11:01 | |
your professional pride is sort of upset, | 0:11:01 | 0:11:03 | |
and it affected my, sort of, family life. | 0:11:03 | 0:11:06 | |
I felt really depressed, I was really down, | 0:11:06 | 0:11:09 | |
I had a few sleepless nights over it, yeah, yeah. | 0:11:09 | 0:11:11 | |
In the end, Mark decided to sell the car and file a money claim against | 0:11:12 | 0:11:17 | |
Pinewood Used Cars Limited. | 0:11:17 | 0:11:19 | |
The company attended court and defended the case, | 0:11:19 | 0:11:21 | |
but it was to be Mark's day. | 0:11:21 | 0:11:24 | |
The judge decided that I was right, | 0:11:24 | 0:11:26 | |
I won the case and this Adam Neave and Ryan | 0:11:26 | 0:11:28 | |
would have to pay me the money that I'd paid out, plus costs. | 0:11:28 | 0:11:33 | |
But they haven't, leaving Mark with only one option. | 0:11:33 | 0:11:36 | |
The sheriffs are my last hope of getting the money. | 0:11:37 | 0:11:40 | |
In Croydon, Lawrence and Kev are on the way | 0:11:48 | 0:11:51 | |
to Pinewood Used Cars Limited. | 0:11:51 | 0:11:53 | |
From the brief details they've been given, | 0:11:53 | 0:11:55 | |
they're not sure what lies ahead. | 0:11:55 | 0:11:58 | |
The address we're going to could possibly not be a commercial site, | 0:11:58 | 0:12:02 | |
it could be a house, | 0:12:02 | 0:12:04 | |
but we're hoping it's not going to be. | 0:12:04 | 0:12:06 | |
Sheriffs have fewer powers of entry at residential premises, | 0:12:06 | 0:12:10 | |
and it's unlikely there'd be much in the way of company assets | 0:12:10 | 0:12:13 | |
at someone's home. | 0:12:13 | 0:12:14 | |
As they approach their destination, it doesn't look good. | 0:12:16 | 0:12:19 | |
443. | 0:12:21 | 0:12:23 | |
-445 on the corner, isn't it? -There it is, down there. | 0:12:23 | 0:12:27 | |
They park outside a row of houses and head in. | 0:12:29 | 0:12:32 | |
But to their surprise, the address leads them through an alley... | 0:12:34 | 0:12:37 | |
..into a yard... | 0:12:38 | 0:12:39 | |
..with a cabin and several cars. | 0:12:41 | 0:12:45 | |
For our sheriffs, things are looking up. | 0:12:45 | 0:12:48 | |
All right, gents. | 0:12:48 | 0:12:50 | |
My name is Mr Grix, | 0:12:50 | 0:12:51 | |
my colleague and I are enforcement agents. | 0:12:51 | 0:12:53 | |
We've got a High Court writ to execute against Pinewood Used Cars Limited. | 0:12:53 | 0:12:57 | |
Mark Parsons. | 0:12:58 | 0:13:00 | |
Right, so you're not Pinewood Used Cars? | 0:13:04 | 0:13:08 | |
It sounds like the company they're looking for has moved out. | 0:13:11 | 0:13:14 | |
If so, this will have been a wasted trip. | 0:13:14 | 0:13:17 | |
But Lawrence wants to know more. | 0:13:17 | 0:13:19 | |
So you weren't anything to do with Pinewood? | 0:13:19 | 0:13:21 | |
Right, but you weren't the director? | 0:13:24 | 0:13:26 | |
So you're Adam Neave, are you? | 0:13:28 | 0:13:29 | |
So Lawrence is talking to the man who sold Mark his car after all. | 0:13:32 | 0:13:36 | |
He says the company is no longer trading and has been liquidated. | 0:13:36 | 0:13:40 | |
If so, then the writ wouldn't be enforceable, | 0:13:40 | 0:13:43 | |
but when Lawrence looked it up earlier in the week, | 0:13:43 | 0:13:45 | |
the company was still active. | 0:13:45 | 0:13:47 | |
So he calls his office to check. | 0:13:47 | 0:13:50 | |
Can you just do a check on Creditsafe for me, please? | 0:13:50 | 0:13:53 | |
Pinewood Used Cars, is it showing anything about liquidation? | 0:13:53 | 0:13:58 | |
It isn't. | 0:13:58 | 0:14:01 | |
Right, cheers. | 0:14:01 | 0:14:02 | |
Company liquidation doesn't happen overnight, | 0:14:02 | 0:14:05 | |
so it could just be that the process hasn't been completed. | 0:14:05 | 0:14:08 | |
Whether Lawrence can enforce today will depend on how far it's got. | 0:14:08 | 0:14:12 | |
Mr Neave doesn't know, and say it's with his accountant. | 0:14:12 | 0:14:16 | |
It's no good telling me the accountants are dealing with it. | 0:14:16 | 0:14:19 | |
We need to have evidence that the company's in liquidation. | 0:14:19 | 0:14:22 | |
As it stands at the moment, it's still an active company, | 0:14:22 | 0:14:25 | |
you're still the director of it, | 0:14:25 | 0:14:26 | |
so it's 100% your responsibility to deal with it. | 0:14:26 | 0:14:29 | |
It's you that needs to provide whatever paperwork you've got, | 0:14:29 | 0:14:32 | |
so whatever you've got, if you can dig that out for us. | 0:14:32 | 0:14:35 | |
It quickly becomes clear that none of the paperwork is here. | 0:14:35 | 0:14:39 | |
One of the men is on the phone, | 0:14:39 | 0:14:40 | |
trying to get something e-mailed through from their accountant, | 0:14:40 | 0:14:43 | |
who's apparently out for lunch. | 0:14:43 | 0:14:46 | |
HE LAUGHS | 0:14:47 | 0:14:50 | |
In the meantime, Lawrence ups the ante. | 0:14:51 | 0:14:54 | |
Right, what we need to do at the moment, then, | 0:14:54 | 0:14:57 | |
until that paperwork comes through, | 0:14:57 | 0:14:58 | |
is just establish ownership of the vehicles out there. | 0:14:58 | 0:15:01 | |
There are several cars outside, | 0:15:01 | 0:15:03 | |
and if any of them belong to Pinewood Used Cars Limited, | 0:15:03 | 0:15:06 | |
Lawrence could be onto a winner, | 0:15:06 | 0:15:08 | |
but Mr Neave says they don't. | 0:15:08 | 0:15:10 | |
So whose is the Skoda? | 0:15:17 | 0:15:19 | |
According to Mr Neave, every vehicle here belongs to someone else. | 0:15:23 | 0:15:28 | |
So who's bought the van? | 0:15:28 | 0:15:29 | |
Mr Neave seems to have all the answers, | 0:15:33 | 0:15:36 | |
but there's something bugging Lawrence. | 0:15:36 | 0:15:38 | |
It doesn't ring that true, when you turn up to a business, | 0:15:38 | 0:15:42 | |
there's cars out there, | 0:15:42 | 0:15:44 | |
none of them are for sale | 0:15:44 | 0:15:46 | |
but there's three of you sitting in the sales office, you know? | 0:15:46 | 0:15:49 | |
Mr Neave says Pinewood Used Cars Limited is wound up | 0:15:54 | 0:15:57 | |
and their new company isn't yet in business. | 0:15:57 | 0:16:00 | |
Lawrence isn't just going to take his word for it | 0:16:00 | 0:16:03 | |
and begins making his own investigation. | 0:16:03 | 0:16:06 | |
I've just been looking to see if any of the cars here | 0:16:06 | 0:16:08 | |
are actually on Auto Trader, and they're not, | 0:16:08 | 0:16:10 | |
which is where most car dealers sell their vehicles. | 0:16:10 | 0:16:13 | |
Kev, meanwhile, is shown Pinewood Used Cars Limited's bank account, | 0:16:13 | 0:16:17 | |
and it's overdrawn. | 0:16:17 | 0:16:19 | |
So you're 800 and... | 0:16:19 | 0:16:20 | |
Yeah, OK, it's all overdrawn, yeah, no balance. | 0:16:20 | 0:16:23 | |
Lawrence turns his attention to the filing cabinet. | 0:16:23 | 0:16:26 | |
I just have to keep looking for any relevant paperwork that might show | 0:16:26 | 0:16:29 | |
that you're still trading at the moment as Pinewood. | 0:16:29 | 0:16:32 | |
Everything you're saying adds up, | 0:16:36 | 0:16:38 | |
but the fact is we've got, you know, half a dozen cars out there. | 0:16:38 | 0:16:42 | |
No, so we have to assume they are. | 0:16:45 | 0:16:47 | |
Later, while the search goes on to try to find the paperwork... | 0:16:47 | 0:16:50 | |
PHONE RINGS | 0:16:50 | 0:16:52 | |
..Lawrence gets word from their accountant. | 0:16:52 | 0:16:54 | |
Have you paid for the liquidation, have you paid the fee? | 0:16:54 | 0:16:57 | |
You haven't. | 0:16:58 | 0:16:59 | |
Using the County Courts to try to recover money you're owed isn't difficult. | 0:17:08 | 0:17:13 | |
1.5 million money claims are made every year in England and Wales, | 0:17:13 | 0:17:16 | |
involving anything from faulty goods or poor workmanship, | 0:17:16 | 0:17:20 | |
to unpaid invoices. | 0:17:20 | 0:17:21 | |
Claims can be filed by post or online for a small fee. | 0:17:23 | 0:17:26 | |
Both parties in the case will be asked to submit evidence, | 0:17:26 | 0:17:30 | |
and you may have to attend a court hearing. | 0:17:30 | 0:17:33 | |
If you're successful, | 0:17:33 | 0:17:34 | |
a County Court judgment - or CCJ - will be issued against the debtor, | 0:17:34 | 0:17:39 | |
and if they still don't pay, that's when you call the sheriffs. | 0:17:39 | 0:17:42 | |
In London, the sheriffs are at a squat in Camden Town. | 0:17:45 | 0:17:49 | |
-Morning. -The man who owns the land originally allowed the squatters | 0:17:49 | 0:17:52 | |
to stay, but now wants it back. | 0:17:52 | 0:17:54 | |
He couldn't persuade the squatters to leave of their own accord, | 0:17:54 | 0:17:57 | |
so he's got a writ of possession | 0:17:57 | 0:17:59 | |
which empowers the sheriffs to evict them. | 0:17:59 | 0:18:01 | |
As expected, they're not best pleased. | 0:18:01 | 0:18:04 | |
We try to love this world, and, | 0:18:04 | 0:18:09 | |
of course, the "good fellas" kick us out. | 0:18:09 | 0:18:15 | |
But for the most part, the squatters appear to be leaving peacefully, | 0:18:15 | 0:18:19 | |
with a couple of exceptions. | 0:18:19 | 0:18:21 | |
You'll be removed. | 0:18:24 | 0:18:25 | |
Physically. | 0:18:26 | 0:18:27 | |
Right, I have a bit of paper here - it's a High Court writ. | 0:18:30 | 0:18:33 | |
It commands me to come onto this land... | 0:18:33 | 0:18:36 | |
Right, I've told you, mate, what's happening. | 0:18:36 | 0:18:39 | |
OK... | 0:18:39 | 0:18:40 | |
I'm a free person and I have the right to live and be on this planet. | 0:18:41 | 0:18:46 | |
And outside, another man isn't cooperating, either. | 0:18:46 | 0:18:49 | |
-Sorry? -The projected image and energy | 0:18:49 | 0:18:51 | |
that this man's sending to me is absolutely despicable. | 0:18:51 | 0:18:54 | |
Can you please ask him to stand at least 12 feet away from me? | 0:18:54 | 0:18:56 | |
If you were inside packing up, | 0:18:56 | 0:18:58 | |
I wouldn't be anywhere near you, would I? | 0:18:58 | 0:19:00 | |
Cos I will remain out here. I won't come inside. | 0:19:00 | 0:19:02 | |
You know I read minds, don't you? And I read yours, and it's not pleasant. | 0:19:02 | 0:19:05 | |
Please, take it away. | 0:19:05 | 0:19:06 | |
The man previously told the sheriffs he doesn't recognise English law. | 0:19:06 | 0:19:10 | |
Now he says he won't leave until he finds his pet cat. | 0:19:10 | 0:19:13 | |
Somewhere I have a very, very small kitten, it's tiny, | 0:19:13 | 0:19:18 | |
and I need to find it. | 0:19:18 | 0:19:19 | |
I can't even find it here. | 0:19:19 | 0:19:21 | |
As soon as these people came on-site, she ran away. | 0:19:21 | 0:19:23 | |
But kitten or no kitten, | 0:19:23 | 0:19:25 | |
the man needs to pack his belongings if he wants to take them, | 0:19:25 | 0:19:28 | |
and has so far refused to do so. | 0:19:28 | 0:19:30 | |
The sheriffs' patience is running out. | 0:19:30 | 0:19:33 | |
We'll keep hanging in with him, you know. | 0:19:33 | 0:19:35 | |
We can keep playing his game for a little while, | 0:19:35 | 0:19:37 | |
and eventually enough will be enough, where | 0:19:37 | 0:19:39 | |
he may have to be helped off-site. | 0:19:39 | 0:19:41 | |
And he's not the only squatter sailing close to the wind. | 0:19:41 | 0:19:44 | |
-If you touch me, sir... -Yeah. | 0:19:44 | 0:19:46 | |
..and you want to remove me... | 0:19:46 | 0:19:47 | |
-Yeah. -..I don't know if that's the best thing to do, | 0:19:47 | 0:19:50 | |
because obviously you don't have any powers. | 0:19:50 | 0:19:52 | |
I do have power to do that. | 0:19:52 | 0:19:53 | |
I don't think so. | 0:19:53 | 0:19:55 | |
You don't think so, I'm telling you I have. | 0:19:55 | 0:19:57 | |
You haven't gave me birth, sir, I'm really sorry, | 0:19:57 | 0:19:59 | |
I have to ask my mum and my dad. | 0:19:59 | 0:20:00 | |
But the sheriffs don't need his parents' permission. | 0:20:00 | 0:20:03 | |
And as the man continues to be obstructive, enough is enough. | 0:20:03 | 0:20:07 | |
I don't respond to you. | 0:20:07 | 0:20:08 | |
Don't touch me, don't touch me. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:11 | |
Come on, mate. You go and get your stuff... | 0:20:11 | 0:20:13 | |
Don't touch me! | 0:20:15 | 0:20:16 | |
I haven't said anything, I haven't done anything to you. | 0:20:16 | 0:20:19 | |
-Come on. -What are you doing? | 0:20:19 | 0:20:21 | |
You're going, mate. You're too gobby. | 0:20:21 | 0:20:23 | |
I'm not too gobby. Hey, what's going on there? | 0:20:23 | 0:20:25 | |
-You've had the opportunity. -What do you mean? | 0:20:25 | 0:20:27 | |
He's not complying with what he should be doing | 0:20:27 | 0:20:29 | |
and he's just standing around, being an issue. | 0:20:29 | 0:20:31 | |
If he just carries on like that, | 0:20:34 | 0:20:35 | |
the others are going to start sort of going along with his view. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:40 | |
The man is convinced the sheriffs don't have any authority, | 0:20:42 | 0:20:46 | |
and once outside, he calls the police. | 0:20:46 | 0:20:49 | |
We have some people literally harassing us and attacking us. | 0:20:49 | 0:20:53 | |
They're very dangerous. They pretend to have... They have some uniforms, | 0:20:53 | 0:20:56 | |
you know, they pretend to be bailiffs or sheriffs or something, | 0:20:56 | 0:21:00 | |
and it's a little bit of an illegal situation here, | 0:21:00 | 0:21:02 | |
so we need to have some police here. | 0:21:02 | 0:21:05 | |
Meanwhile, back inside the squat, | 0:21:06 | 0:21:08 | |
the sheriffs are still battling with the man in the tent, | 0:21:08 | 0:21:10 | |
who now says he's ill. | 0:21:10 | 0:21:12 | |
-Are you unwell? -Yes, I am, seriously unwell. | 0:21:14 | 0:21:16 | |
-OK. -I really have been for the last three years. | 0:21:16 | 0:21:18 | |
-All right. -I'm suffering from consumption. | 0:21:18 | 0:21:20 | |
I've only got 10% of my lung capacity left. | 0:21:20 | 0:21:22 | |
I'm very, very hard pushed to breathe and when stressed, | 0:21:22 | 0:21:25 | |
it makes it worse. | 0:21:25 | 0:21:26 | |
Take this man away from me, he's really upsetting me. | 0:21:26 | 0:21:29 | |
-All right. -He's really upsetting me! | 0:21:29 | 0:21:31 | |
-He's gone now. -No, he hasn't! | 0:21:31 | 0:21:33 | |
Right, he has now, OK? | 0:21:33 | 0:21:34 | |
-Get him away from me. -All right, listen... | 0:21:34 | 0:21:36 | |
-I mean, seriously. -Do you need medical assistance? | 0:21:36 | 0:21:38 | |
I would love it, | 0:21:38 | 0:21:39 | |
but it's not a case that your medical people could help me. | 0:21:39 | 0:21:42 | |
I haven't got a name, they won't treat me, | 0:21:42 | 0:21:43 | |
-so it's not going to help. -Are you refusing...? -I don't have a name. | 0:21:43 | 0:21:46 | |
Do you want me to get you an ambulance? | 0:21:46 | 0:21:47 | |
-Yes or no? -I don't know what's going to happen, you may as well get me a hearse. | 0:21:47 | 0:21:50 | |
-Do you want me to get you an ambulance? -You may as well get me a hearse, I promise you. | 0:21:50 | 0:21:54 | |
Later, patience runs out with the man in the tent. | 0:21:54 | 0:21:57 | |
I haven't done nothing to these people, | 0:21:57 | 0:21:59 | |
they are now depriving me from any ability to live. | 0:21:59 | 0:22:02 | |
And tempers flare as the site is secured. | 0:22:02 | 0:22:05 | |
THEY CHANT | 0:22:05 | 0:22:07 | |
Why are you destroying our garden?! | 0:22:07 | 0:22:09 | |
In the Midlands, sheriffs Tommy Coyle | 0:22:15 | 0:22:18 | |
and Craig Wild are heading into the Oxfordshire countryside | 0:22:18 | 0:22:21 | |
to visit a residential address. | 0:22:21 | 0:22:23 | |
This morning, it's an early one. | 0:22:25 | 0:22:27 | |
We're off to go and see a Mrs Susan Mulvey, | 0:22:27 | 0:22:31 | |
who is a vet. | 0:22:31 | 0:22:34 | |
The debt itself is just short of £4,000. | 0:22:34 | 0:22:40 | |
The debt is for wages owed to a former employee, | 0:22:40 | 0:22:43 | |
and it's not the first time Mrs Mulvey | 0:22:43 | 0:22:45 | |
has been in trouble over the treatment of her staff. | 0:22:45 | 0:22:49 | |
In 2013, | 0:22:49 | 0:22:50 | |
an employment tribunal awarded nearly £10,000 in compensation | 0:22:50 | 0:22:55 | |
to another former worker, who was unfairly dismissed. | 0:22:55 | 0:22:58 | |
Mrs Mulvey didn't defend either case, | 0:22:58 | 0:23:01 | |
and in this latest incident currently owes £3,943. | 0:23:01 | 0:23:06 | |
We've been to the vets before, | 0:23:10 | 0:23:11 | |
to the actual shop and the address where she trades from, | 0:23:11 | 0:23:14 | |
left a notification because she was actually operating | 0:23:14 | 0:23:17 | |
on an animal at the time, so we couldn't get to see her personally. | 0:23:17 | 0:23:20 | |
Since then she's never been in touch with us at all, | 0:23:20 | 0:23:23 | |
so our office has done some background checks, | 0:23:23 | 0:23:26 | |
to find out where her home address is, | 0:23:26 | 0:23:28 | |
and that's where we're off to now. | 0:23:28 | 0:23:30 | |
As the claimant sued Mrs Mulvey personally, | 0:23:31 | 0:23:34 | |
rather than her business, | 0:23:34 | 0:23:35 | |
catching her at home could be a good way to get the debt paid. | 0:23:35 | 0:23:40 | |
That's the one. | 0:23:40 | 0:23:41 | |
-In there, then. -In there. | 0:23:41 | 0:23:42 | |
The sheriffs approach the house, | 0:23:43 | 0:23:45 | |
first checking out the car on the driveway, | 0:23:45 | 0:23:47 | |
but it's not that promising. | 0:23:47 | 0:23:49 | |
That hasn't been moved for ages, mate, that hasn't. | 0:23:49 | 0:23:52 | |
The sheriffs will need to find some other way | 0:23:52 | 0:23:55 | |
of persuading the debtor to pay. | 0:23:55 | 0:23:57 | |
If she's in. | 0:23:58 | 0:23:59 | |
Got milk here, so think someone's still here? | 0:24:02 | 0:24:05 | |
Yeah. | 0:24:05 | 0:24:06 | |
Here we go. | 0:24:09 | 0:24:10 | |
Good morning. Mrs Mulvey? | 0:24:11 | 0:24:14 | |
Is she available? | 0:24:14 | 0:24:15 | |
It's Mrs Mulvey's husband, | 0:24:19 | 0:24:21 | |
and it seems like the vet has already left for work. | 0:24:21 | 0:24:24 | |
She's still living here, isn't she? Could you get her on the phone? Because we've been given this | 0:24:24 | 0:24:28 | |
as an enforcement address for her. | 0:24:28 | 0:24:31 | |
I can wait here, yeah. | 0:24:31 | 0:24:33 | |
It's not ideal that Mrs Mulvey's not here, | 0:24:33 | 0:24:36 | |
but the sheriffs know all too well that their presence | 0:24:36 | 0:24:38 | |
on the doorstep is often enough. | 0:24:38 | 0:24:40 | |
He's going to get her on the phone now, | 0:24:40 | 0:24:42 | |
and hopefully Tommy can have a chat with her over the phone | 0:24:42 | 0:24:44 | |
and explain the situation to her. | 0:24:44 | 0:24:46 | |
Sure enough, the man returns with Mrs Mulvey on the line, | 0:24:46 | 0:24:49 | |
and the sheriffs are invited in. | 0:24:49 | 0:24:51 | |
Thank you. | 0:24:51 | 0:24:53 | |
Now that they're inside, | 0:24:53 | 0:24:54 | |
they can't be told to leave and could seize assets, | 0:24:54 | 0:24:57 | |
but hopefully it won't come to that. | 0:24:57 | 0:24:59 | |
Tommy's explaining the situation to her on the phone. | 0:24:59 | 0:25:02 | |
They're trying to arrange the money as we speak. | 0:25:02 | 0:25:05 | |
I don't think they've got the money themselves in one account, | 0:25:05 | 0:25:09 | |
it may have to come from two or three accounts. | 0:25:09 | 0:25:11 | |
Mrs Mulvey needs to come up with close to £4,000 now, | 0:25:12 | 0:25:16 | |
and it's not uncommon for debtors to struggle to raise | 0:25:16 | 0:25:19 | |
enough funds on the spot. | 0:25:19 | 0:25:22 | |
If she can't, then the sheriffs will have to decide whether to accept | 0:25:22 | 0:25:25 | |
a part-payment for the time being, or stand their ground. | 0:25:25 | 0:25:29 | |
But this time, that scenario is avoided. | 0:25:29 | 0:25:32 | |
Fantastic news for the claimant. | 0:25:32 | 0:25:34 | |
He's transferred the money into one account | 0:25:34 | 0:25:36 | |
and they paid on a debit card in full. | 0:25:36 | 0:25:38 | |
Ten months after winning their case in court, | 0:25:38 | 0:25:41 | |
Mrs Mulvey's former employee has finally got the wages they're owed. | 0:25:41 | 0:25:45 | |
If you've won a County Court judgment and haven't been paid, | 0:25:47 | 0:25:51 | |
for £66 you can get the case transferred up to the High Court, | 0:25:51 | 0:25:55 | |
which will issue a writ for enforcement by the sheriffs. | 0:25:55 | 0:25:58 | |
My job is to collect in full or remove goods. | 0:25:58 | 0:26:02 | |
They've got special powers of entry. | 0:26:02 | 0:26:05 | |
We don't have to take any notice of your security protocol, I'm afraid. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:08 | |
And there's no limit on the size of the debts they can pursue. | 0:26:08 | 0:26:11 | |
£1.6 million. | 0:26:11 | 0:26:13 | |
If they're successful, | 0:26:14 | 0:26:16 | |
they'll recover your money and costs from the debtor... | 0:26:16 | 0:26:19 | |
Have you got the cash now, then? | 0:26:19 | 0:26:20 | |
..as well as their own fees, which are set by the Government. | 0:26:20 | 0:26:23 | |
She's paid, the judgment is settled. | 0:26:23 | 0:26:25 | |
Thank you very much. | 0:26:25 | 0:26:27 | |
If the sheriffs can't get your money, | 0:26:27 | 0:26:29 | |
they'll ask you to pay a fee of £75 plus VAT. | 0:26:29 | 0:26:33 | |
Lawrence and Kev are in Croydon, | 0:26:39 | 0:26:41 | |
at a company called Pinewood Used Cars Limited, which owes £3,424. | 0:26:41 | 0:26:47 | |
Lawrence has been eyeing up the cars outside, | 0:26:48 | 0:26:51 | |
but the director claims they don't belong to the company, | 0:26:51 | 0:26:54 | |
which he says is in liquidation anyway. | 0:26:54 | 0:26:57 | |
Now Lawrence is being handed their accountant on the phone. | 0:26:57 | 0:27:00 | |
Hello, sir. | 0:27:01 | 0:27:02 | |
Right, how far down the road is this liquidation? | 0:27:03 | 0:27:05 | |
Have you paid for the liquidation, have you paid the fee? | 0:27:07 | 0:27:09 | |
You haven't? | 0:27:10 | 0:27:12 | |
Yeah, well filing it in a week's time | 0:27:12 | 0:27:14 | |
isn't going to help the gentleman here today. | 0:27:14 | 0:27:16 | |
I don't know when you were instructed to liquidate the company, | 0:27:16 | 0:27:19 | |
but obviously it hasn't happened. | 0:27:19 | 0:27:20 | |
As far as we're concerned, and as far as the law's concerned, | 0:27:20 | 0:27:23 | |
the process for liquidation hasn't even started. | 0:27:23 | 0:27:25 | |
Thank you, bye-bye. | 0:27:27 | 0:27:28 | |
Right, we're back to the cars. | 0:27:29 | 0:27:30 | |
With Pinewood Used Cars Limited still officially trading, | 0:27:31 | 0:27:35 | |
Mr Neave and his colleagues will now have to prove the cars outside | 0:27:35 | 0:27:39 | |
don't belong to the company. | 0:27:39 | 0:27:40 | |
Yeah. | 0:27:44 | 0:27:45 | |
But it's not going to be that straightforward. | 0:27:45 | 0:27:47 | |
Apparently, some vehicles were bought by individuals, | 0:27:47 | 0:27:51 | |
including Mr Neave and his father. | 0:27:51 | 0:27:53 | |
Does he not keep his paperwork here, no? | 0:27:53 | 0:27:57 | |
Other cars belong to friends and relatives, | 0:27:57 | 0:28:00 | |
so the men begin the painful process of trying to come up with all | 0:28:00 | 0:28:03 | |
the paperwork Lawrence wants to see. | 0:28:03 | 0:28:05 | |
Yeah. | 0:28:10 | 0:28:11 | |
Gradually, with a combination of receipts, | 0:28:14 | 0:28:17 | |
logbooks and bank statements, they begin to piece it together. | 0:28:17 | 0:28:20 | |
2005, that's fine. | 0:28:21 | 0:28:23 | |
It clearly hasn't been bought for stock. | 0:28:23 | 0:28:25 | |
But their paperwork's all over the place. | 0:28:25 | 0:28:27 | |
And making head or tail of it months down the line isn't easy. | 0:28:35 | 0:28:39 | |
Nevertheless, despite the confusion, one by one, | 0:28:49 | 0:28:53 | |
the cars begin to be ruled out. | 0:28:53 | 0:28:55 | |
-Is that the one? -3363. -3363, that's that one. | 0:28:55 | 0:28:59 | |
So we discard that one. | 0:28:59 | 0:29:00 | |
Yeah, that's fine. That's that one off the list. | 0:29:07 | 0:29:09 | |
The latest is, we've established all but one of the vehicles are nothing | 0:29:09 | 0:29:14 | |
to do with the company we're after, | 0:29:14 | 0:29:16 | |
and we're 99.9% sure the remaining vehicle is nothing to do with | 0:29:16 | 0:29:22 | |
the company we're after, | 0:29:22 | 0:29:23 | |
but Lawrence, being as he is, | 0:29:23 | 0:29:26 | |
is waiting out, just for total confirmation. | 0:29:26 | 0:29:30 | |
So we'll be leaving soon, hopefully. | 0:29:33 | 0:29:36 | |
We've got 15, yeah? 15.08. | 0:29:36 | 0:29:38 | |
It's the final bit of paperwork they need. | 0:29:44 | 0:29:47 | |
Satisfied he's applied his full diligence to the job, | 0:29:47 | 0:29:50 | |
Lawrence finally calls it quits. | 0:29:50 | 0:29:52 | |
Cheers. It was a bit complicated, | 0:29:52 | 0:29:54 | |
but eventually we managed to tie all the receipts together for the cars | 0:29:54 | 0:29:58 | |
that were there of any value, | 0:29:58 | 0:29:59 | |
and basically the director's father owns them. | 0:29:59 | 0:30:02 | |
He bought them personally, with his personal money, | 0:30:02 | 0:30:05 | |
out of his bank account. | 0:30:05 | 0:30:07 | |
We've got bank statements, card slips, so there's no assets, | 0:30:07 | 0:30:11 | |
and within probably a couple of weeks, | 0:30:11 | 0:30:14 | |
the company will be wound up anyway. | 0:30:14 | 0:30:15 | |
If you'd seen the company bank account, | 0:30:15 | 0:30:17 | |
which was overdrawn by £860 or something, | 0:30:17 | 0:30:20 | |
which is part of the money they gave to the accountant to wind them up. | 0:30:20 | 0:30:23 | |
So no money, no assets, nothing we can do. | 0:30:23 | 0:30:25 | |
It's a disappointing result, not least for Mark Parsons, | 0:30:26 | 0:30:30 | |
but while he's not happy about the outcome, | 0:30:30 | 0:30:33 | |
he has no regrets about pursuing Pinewood Used Cars Limited | 0:30:33 | 0:30:36 | |
through the courts. | 0:30:36 | 0:30:37 | |
I'm glad I've gone through the process. | 0:30:39 | 0:30:41 | |
I've won the case, I've seen the way the legal system works, | 0:30:41 | 0:30:44 | |
I've seen what can happen. | 0:30:44 | 0:30:45 | |
Yes, it was an experience. | 0:30:45 | 0:30:47 | |
I just know now that I'm not going to get my money back, | 0:30:47 | 0:30:49 | |
and I've just got to move on. | 0:30:49 | 0:30:52 | |
Pinewood Used Cars Limited told us | 0:30:52 | 0:30:53 | |
that after Mr Parsons was unhappy with their repair of his car, | 0:30:53 | 0:30:57 | |
the company did offer him a refund, but he declined. | 0:30:57 | 0:31:00 | |
They say they lost in court because a year had passed | 0:31:00 | 0:31:03 | |
and so they had no evidence to support their case. | 0:31:03 | 0:31:06 | |
They say they didn't pay the court judgment | 0:31:06 | 0:31:08 | |
because they were no longer trading. | 0:31:08 | 0:31:11 | |
Back in Camden, | 0:31:19 | 0:31:20 | |
the sheriffs are still trying to evict a group of illegal squatters. | 0:31:20 | 0:31:24 | |
What's happening if we don't want to go? | 0:31:24 | 0:31:26 | |
You'll be removed. | 0:31:26 | 0:31:28 | |
While most are cooperating, | 0:31:28 | 0:31:29 | |
one man has had to be removed by force. | 0:31:29 | 0:31:31 | |
-You're going, mate, you're too gobby. -I'm not too gobby. | 0:31:31 | 0:31:34 | |
Wait, what's going on here? | 0:31:34 | 0:31:36 | |
And a second is continuing to cause problems. | 0:31:36 | 0:31:39 | |
He's been refusing to pack his belongings, | 0:31:39 | 0:31:41 | |
and is now claiming to be unwell. | 0:31:41 | 0:31:43 | |
Two hernias, two dislocated shoulders and untold back pain. | 0:31:43 | 0:31:47 | |
-OK. -I live in a tent in a garden, | 0:31:47 | 0:31:49 | |
not out of choice but out of force, | 0:31:49 | 0:31:51 | |
because you people threw me out of my last life | 0:31:51 | 0:31:53 | |
because I challenged the system and refused to wear a name. | 0:31:53 | 0:31:57 | |
The system has been trying to deprive, | 0:31:57 | 0:31:58 | |
deny and delay me any rights to live on this planet. | 0:31:58 | 0:32:01 | |
But the sheriffs have heard it all now, | 0:32:01 | 0:32:03 | |
so after 45 minutes of arguing and endless excuses, | 0:32:03 | 0:32:07 | |
the man is given some assistance. | 0:32:07 | 0:32:09 | |
I haven't done nothing to these people. | 0:32:09 | 0:32:11 | |
They are now depriving me from any ability to live. | 0:32:11 | 0:32:15 | |
Put him down gently, Steve. | 0:32:15 | 0:32:16 | |
I have my rights. | 0:32:18 | 0:32:20 | |
-Keep going. -I have my rights. | 0:32:20 | 0:32:21 | |
-Legs down. -I have my rights. | 0:32:21 | 0:32:23 | |
-I have my rights. -Thank you very much. | 0:32:23 | 0:32:26 | |
Brother, I need my property, my kitten, I need my kitten. | 0:32:26 | 0:32:30 | |
-His cat's inside there, his baby cat. -My children, my child is in there. | 0:32:30 | 0:32:35 | |
The man needn't worry, as Vader the kitten is soon found. | 0:32:35 | 0:32:39 | |
-Here's your cat. -That's Vader, what about the rest of my stuff? | 0:32:39 | 0:32:42 | |
Now he's been removed, he wants his stuff, yeah? | 0:32:42 | 0:32:46 | |
At the moment, | 0:32:46 | 0:32:48 | |
I'm not going to let him get that. | 0:32:48 | 0:32:50 | |
I'm going to clear the site and then I'll get a couple of our officers | 0:32:50 | 0:32:53 | |
to pack his stuff up and just bring it out to him. | 0:32:53 | 0:32:56 | |
MAN SHOUTS With the troublemakers now off the site, | 0:32:56 | 0:32:59 | |
the sheriffs need to chivvy the rest of the squatters along. | 0:32:59 | 0:33:02 | |
I can see you've got your breakfast, have you got everything else? | 0:33:02 | 0:33:05 | |
-Are you taking the bike? -It's mine, yeah. | 0:33:05 | 0:33:07 | |
After being on the site for three years, | 0:33:07 | 0:33:10 | |
some of the squatters have a lot of possessions. | 0:33:10 | 0:33:12 | |
Luckily, they've also got a couple of vans, | 0:33:12 | 0:33:15 | |
which is making the process a bit easier. | 0:33:15 | 0:33:18 | |
I think we've got about half out at the moment. | 0:33:18 | 0:33:20 | |
The majority of them have been OK, | 0:33:20 | 0:33:22 | |
it's just a couple who have had to be removed because they're not... | 0:33:22 | 0:33:25 | |
They're not doing what we've asked them to do. | 0:33:25 | 0:33:28 | |
Sorry. | 0:33:31 | 0:33:32 | |
Meanwhile, the police have arrived, | 0:33:34 | 0:33:35 | |
at the request of one of the squatters, | 0:33:35 | 0:33:38 | |
who is convinced that the eviction is illegal. | 0:33:38 | 0:33:40 | |
But once the police see the sheriffs' paperwork, | 0:33:40 | 0:33:43 | |
it becomes clear to them it's the squatters | 0:33:43 | 0:33:45 | |
who are on the wrong side of the law. | 0:33:45 | 0:33:47 | |
OK, we'll go hang out front | 0:33:47 | 0:33:48 | |
and just make sure no-one's getting all uppity. | 0:33:48 | 0:33:51 | |
-Thank you. -OK. | 0:33:51 | 0:33:53 | |
As the final squatters gather their belongings and leave, | 0:33:53 | 0:33:56 | |
the temperature again starts to rise. | 0:33:56 | 0:33:59 | |
MAN SHOUTS | 0:33:59 | 0:34:02 | |
Garden community, garden community, garden community... | 0:34:02 | 0:34:06 | |
The squatters are gathering outside and making themselves heard. | 0:34:06 | 0:34:09 | |
Get a job, get a job! | 0:34:09 | 0:34:13 | |
Not that the sheriffs are worried. | 0:34:13 | 0:34:15 | |
I think it's a case of much sound and fury doth signify nothing. | 0:34:15 | 0:34:18 | |
Before the sheriffs can leave, | 0:34:20 | 0:34:22 | |
they have to be certain that none of the squatters have been left behind. | 0:34:22 | 0:34:25 | |
Search every nook and cranny, roof spaces, | 0:34:25 | 0:34:28 | |
outbuildings, shrubbery, tents, | 0:34:28 | 0:34:31 | |
everything, yeah? Leave no stone unturned, yeah? | 0:34:31 | 0:34:34 | |
Even if you think someone's checked it already, just double-check it, please. | 0:34:34 | 0:34:37 | |
And as the search of the building progresses, | 0:34:37 | 0:34:40 | |
Mark comes across something a bit odd. | 0:34:40 | 0:34:42 | |
I found a hatch or something in the floor, not sure where it goes. | 0:34:42 | 0:34:45 | |
Probably nothing, but I need to check it. | 0:34:45 | 0:34:48 | |
No, just the floor. That's fine, cool. | 0:34:50 | 0:34:53 | |
It turns out to be nothing. | 0:34:53 | 0:34:55 | |
And with the site confirmed as clear of squatters, | 0:34:56 | 0:34:58 | |
attention turns to making sure they don't get back in, | 0:34:58 | 0:35:02 | |
and securing the site for the owner. | 0:35:02 | 0:35:04 | |
It's going to be difficult place to secure up. | 0:35:04 | 0:35:06 | |
Ideally they're going to want security guards here, | 0:35:06 | 0:35:09 | |
but whether he chooses that or not... | 0:35:09 | 0:35:11 | |
If he doesn't, they'll probably be back in straightaway. | 0:35:11 | 0:35:14 | |
The other thing the sheriffs can do is make sure there's nothing much | 0:35:14 | 0:35:17 | |
to come back to. | 0:35:17 | 0:35:18 | |
As long as their makeshift homes are still standing, | 0:35:18 | 0:35:21 | |
this site will continue to be a draw for the squatters, | 0:35:21 | 0:35:24 | |
so the owner has asked the sheriffs to remove them. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:27 | |
Unsurprisingly, it only winds the squatters up more. | 0:35:29 | 0:35:32 | |
Please stop destroying my home. | 0:35:32 | 0:35:37 | |
My belongings are inside. | 0:35:37 | 0:35:40 | |
Devil worship! | 0:35:40 | 0:35:42 | |
Why are you destroying our garden? | 0:35:42 | 0:35:45 | |
Why are you destroying our beautiful garden?! | 0:35:45 | 0:35:48 | |
But the time has now come for the squatters to move on, | 0:35:48 | 0:35:51 | |
and Mark is confident they will. | 0:35:51 | 0:35:53 | |
There's still people coming back and forwards who've got stuff in there, | 0:35:53 | 0:35:57 | |
which we are letting them on to get, escorting them on, | 0:35:57 | 0:36:00 | |
and they're all outside still, all being very verbal, | 0:36:00 | 0:36:04 | |
but as the day goes on, | 0:36:04 | 0:36:07 | |
they'll peter out. | 0:36:07 | 0:36:09 | |
Thanks to the sheriffs, | 0:36:09 | 0:36:11 | |
the land is back in the hands of its rightful owner. | 0:36:11 | 0:36:13 | |
Every year 3.9 million motor insurance claims | 0:36:19 | 0:36:22 | |
are made in the UK as a result of accidents, theft or damage. | 0:36:22 | 0:36:27 | |
99% of these claims are accepted and subsequently paid out, | 0:36:27 | 0:36:32 | |
but occasionally claimants find themselves | 0:36:32 | 0:36:34 | |
unable to get the money they're owed. | 0:36:34 | 0:36:36 | |
Lawrence and Kev are heading towards the Sussex coast, | 0:36:37 | 0:36:41 | |
to deal with one of these cases. | 0:36:41 | 0:36:42 | |
We're off to Hastings Insurance Services Limited. | 0:36:44 | 0:36:47 | |
We are looking for £4,575. | 0:36:47 | 0:36:53 | |
The claimant is Bill Young from Ashington in Northumberland. | 0:36:55 | 0:36:59 | |
It all began with an outing to the local takeaway | 0:36:59 | 0:37:01 | |
with wife Christine and their kids. | 0:37:01 | 0:37:05 | |
We got in the car, headed down the road, | 0:37:05 | 0:37:07 | |
and just as I was approaching the roundabout, | 0:37:07 | 0:37:09 | |
the guy came out from the left. | 0:37:09 | 0:37:11 | |
I did see it coming, | 0:37:11 | 0:37:12 | |
but it was right at the last second and there was no way I could get out of the way. | 0:37:12 | 0:37:16 | |
The other driver smashed into the side of Bill's car, | 0:37:16 | 0:37:19 | |
writing it off and leaving the family shaken and hurt. | 0:37:19 | 0:37:23 | |
I can remember getting out of the vehicle and tried opening the door, | 0:37:23 | 0:37:26 | |
couldn't get out. | 0:37:26 | 0:37:28 | |
I had to climb out of the driver's seat and I actually | 0:37:28 | 0:37:31 | |
did go to hospital and got checked over because... | 0:37:31 | 0:37:34 | |
because of my injuries. | 0:37:34 | 0:37:36 | |
Christine suffered whiplash, | 0:37:36 | 0:37:38 | |
and it soon became clear that so did their 15-year-old daughter, Elise. | 0:37:38 | 0:37:43 | |
My daughter realised at school when she was sitting | 0:37:43 | 0:37:46 | |
on the high chairs in the science lab, | 0:37:46 | 0:37:49 | |
cos she had no back support, | 0:37:49 | 0:37:51 | |
and that's when she realised she was uncomfortable with it. | 0:37:51 | 0:37:55 | |
So she had to actually tell the teacher she needed a special chair. | 0:37:55 | 0:37:59 | |
She had to go through physio and stuff like that. | 0:37:59 | 0:38:02 | |
But good news was that the Youngs' insurance policy was supportive. | 0:38:02 | 0:38:06 | |
They said they would claim costs and compensation | 0:38:06 | 0:38:09 | |
from the other driver's insurers, | 0:38:09 | 0:38:11 | |
Hastings, and seemed confident of a result. | 0:38:11 | 0:38:14 | |
They got in touch to say that the driver had said it was his fault, | 0:38:14 | 0:38:18 | |
so we had nothing really to worry about. | 0:38:18 | 0:38:21 | |
We had a courtesy car. | 0:38:21 | 0:38:22 | |
But as it went on, it started to drag on and drag on. | 0:38:22 | 0:38:25 | |
It seemed that Hastings wasn't going to pay out just like that. | 0:38:25 | 0:38:29 | |
I was quite surprised | 0:38:29 | 0:38:30 | |
because it's quite a big insurance company | 0:38:30 | 0:38:32 | |
and I thought it would just be... they would pay up straightaway, sort of thing. | 0:38:32 | 0:38:35 | |
Especially when the guy who's hit you is admitting fault straightaway. | 0:38:35 | 0:38:39 | |
Basically an open and shut case, really. | 0:38:39 | 0:38:42 | |
Weeks became months, | 0:38:42 | 0:38:43 | |
and the situation was becoming increasingly worrying for the family. | 0:38:43 | 0:38:47 | |
I was just stressed all the time, | 0:38:47 | 0:38:49 | |
ringing up the insurance company just about every other day. | 0:38:49 | 0:38:53 | |
I would send one thing and then they would say, | 0:38:53 | 0:38:55 | |
"We need something else." | 0:38:55 | 0:38:56 | |
Well, I thought, "Well why didn't you say that in the first place?" | 0:38:56 | 0:38:59 | |
It just went on and on. | 0:38:59 | 0:39:02 | |
At the back of your mind you're always thinking, | 0:39:02 | 0:39:03 | |
"Am I going to get the money?" You know, | 0:39:03 | 0:39:05 | |
"Is it going to end up me paying for something that's not my fault?" | 0:39:05 | 0:39:09 | |
A few months after the accident, | 0:39:11 | 0:39:13 | |
the Youngs did receive the pay-out for their written-off car, | 0:39:13 | 0:39:16 | |
but it took a year before Christine got compensation for her injuries, | 0:39:16 | 0:39:20 | |
and Elise's whiplash was even less straightforward. | 0:39:20 | 0:39:24 | |
It turned out she'd have to go to court. | 0:39:24 | 0:39:26 | |
You don't really want your daughter going into a court. | 0:39:26 | 0:39:28 | |
She seemed to take it in her stride, but it was worrying for us. | 0:39:28 | 0:39:32 | |
And after the hearing, they were more confused than ever. | 0:39:32 | 0:39:35 | |
The guy who was representing the other company, | 0:39:35 | 0:39:39 | |
he basically just agreed they would pay out. | 0:39:39 | 0:39:41 | |
There was no questions asked. | 0:39:41 | 0:39:43 | |
It just seemed to be a waste of time. | 0:39:43 | 0:39:45 | |
The Youngs could at least expect the matter to finally be resolved. | 0:39:47 | 0:39:51 | |
But 18 months after the accident, they're still waiting. | 0:39:51 | 0:39:54 | |
Now the Youngs' insurers have decided to take the final step. | 0:39:55 | 0:39:59 | |
They've obtained a High Court writ against Hastings Insurance | 0:39:59 | 0:40:03 | |
and engaged the sheriffs. | 0:40:03 | 0:40:04 | |
We've been informed that the sheriffs are going to go into | 0:40:04 | 0:40:07 | |
the offices of the insurance company... | 0:40:07 | 0:40:10 | |
Basically bang on their door. | 0:40:10 | 0:40:12 | |
..and actually physically take the money. | 0:40:12 | 0:40:14 | |
We didn't expect this, so we'll see what happens from here, | 0:40:14 | 0:40:17 | |
but hopefully we'll finally get what... | 0:40:17 | 0:40:19 | |
-What we deserve. -..what we need. | 0:40:19 | 0:40:21 | |
Lawrence and Kev are soon to arrive | 0:40:27 | 0:40:29 | |
at Hastings Insurance Services Limited. | 0:40:29 | 0:40:32 | |
It should be straightforward, | 0:40:32 | 0:40:33 | |
but Kev's taking nothing for granted. | 0:40:33 | 0:40:36 | |
You'd have thought a job like this is a relatively easy payment, | 0:40:36 | 0:40:40 | |
but you can never guarantee it. | 0:40:40 | 0:40:43 | |
It's up this road somewhere, I believe. | 0:40:43 | 0:40:46 | |
There it is, Conquest House, Hastings Direct. | 0:40:46 | 0:40:49 | |
It's not quite the name on the writ, | 0:40:49 | 0:40:51 | |
but it's more than likely to be just a trading name for the debtor company. | 0:40:51 | 0:40:55 | |
Unperturbed, Lawrence and Kev park up and head into the building. | 0:40:55 | 0:40:59 | |
-Hi there. -They'll rumble you, Pete, straight away. | 0:40:59 | 0:41:02 | |
But our cameraman doesn't get far. | 0:41:02 | 0:41:04 | |
Morning, yeah. | 0:41:04 | 0:41:06 | |
We wait outside, while Lawrence explains. | 0:41:06 | 0:41:08 | |
My name's Mr Grix. My colleague and I are enforcement agents. | 0:41:08 | 0:41:11 | |
We've got a High Court writ against Hastings Insurance Services Limited. | 0:41:11 | 0:41:14 | |
The sheriffs' unannounced arrival causes some confusion. | 0:41:18 | 0:41:22 | |
Lawrence and Kev don't know any of the specifics of the case, | 0:41:22 | 0:41:25 | |
all they've got is a writ against the company | 0:41:25 | 0:41:28 | |
with Mr Young's name on it, and no-one here knows who he is. | 0:41:28 | 0:41:31 | |
After an hour, they've made little progress. | 0:41:33 | 0:41:35 | |
One of the issues they've got at the moment is looking for the person | 0:41:37 | 0:41:41 | |
in the claim. | 0:41:41 | 0:41:42 | |
Once they find out who that is, | 0:41:42 | 0:41:43 | |
they'll be back down and sorting out. | 0:41:43 | 0:41:45 | |
They're familiar with these scenarios. | 0:41:45 | 0:41:48 | |
I think with such a big company, | 0:41:48 | 0:41:49 | |
they must get a few of these things sort of slip through the net. | 0:41:49 | 0:41:53 | |
The sheriffs can demand the writ is paid regardless, | 0:41:54 | 0:41:56 | |
but companies are usually reluctant to reach for their credit cards | 0:41:56 | 0:42:00 | |
until they know what they're paying for. | 0:42:00 | 0:42:03 | |
So Lawrence is prepared to give them a bit of time, | 0:42:03 | 0:42:06 | |
rather than threatening to remove assets from the office. | 0:42:06 | 0:42:08 | |
Another 45 minutes passes before, eventually, he's out. | 0:42:10 | 0:42:15 | |
And all the waiting around hasn't dampened his spirits. | 0:42:15 | 0:42:18 | |
That went very well, really. | 0:42:19 | 0:42:21 | |
Eventually they found who should be dealing with the claim. | 0:42:21 | 0:42:25 | |
Apparently they'd already agreed a settlement and the solicitor should | 0:42:25 | 0:42:28 | |
have paid it, so it's actually the solicitors that have paid it now. | 0:42:28 | 0:42:32 | |
It took a bit longer than we would've liked, really, | 0:42:32 | 0:42:34 | |
but sometimes it does. | 0:42:34 | 0:42:36 | |
They've been paid the full £4,575. | 0:42:40 | 0:42:44 | |
18 months after their car accident, | 0:42:44 | 0:42:47 | |
the Youngs have finally got the compensation they were owed. | 0:42:47 | 0:42:50 | |
Well, we finally heard from the sheriffs. | 0:42:52 | 0:42:55 | |
It's good news. | 0:42:55 | 0:42:56 | |
They're getting the money, so that's great. | 0:42:56 | 0:42:59 | |
We would have preferred that we didn't need to claim | 0:42:59 | 0:43:01 | |
and we didn't need it, but that's what these things are for. | 0:43:01 | 0:43:04 |