Sherforce: what to do if they have contacted you

Who Sherforce are

The High Court enforcement brand of Shergroup. It acts on High Court writs, commercial rent arrears and possession orders, not council tax.

Councils and other clients typically instruct them to collect: High Court writs, commercial rent arrears and possession orders.

Are they accredited?

This firm is not on the Enforcement Conduct Board's register of accredited firms under this name, as checked in September 2026. That may mean it has stopped enforcement work, now trades under another name, or has not been accredited. It does not change your rights: every certificated enforcement agent must follow the same law and charge the same fees, whoever they work for.

Work out which stage you are at

What you should do depends entirely on how far this has gone. Find yourself below.

1. You have had a notice of enforcement, but no visit

   This is the compliance stage, and £79 has been added. The notice must give you at least 14 clear days before anyone attends, not counting Sundays or bank holidays. This is by far the best point to act, because dealing with it now avoids the £247 enforcement fee entirely.

   Put an affordable offer in writing to Sherforce and to your council today. Use the letter further down this page.

   If you need longer, a debt adviser can ask for the notice period to be extended to 28 clear days. The notice itself must tell you how to get free debt advice. That is a right worth using rather than rushing into an unaffordable agreement.

2. They have visited, or left a notice of attendance

   The enforcement stage fee of £247 has probably been added. One fee covers every visit, so a second or third visit should not add another £247. Check your breakdown carefully if it has.

   Do not let them in on any return visit. Put your offer in writing and ask the council to recall the account.

3. Your vehicle has been clamped

   Act the same day. If the vehicle is on finance, leased, or belongs to somebody else, send the agreement or V5C immediately, because they cannot take goods that are not yours. If it displays a valid Blue Badge and is used for a disabled person, say so in writing at once.

   They must wait at least 2 hours after clamping before towing it away, and cannot sell it until at least 7 clear days after removal. That window is short, so this is genuinely urgent.

4. You signed an agreement and have missed a payment

   A broken controlled goods agreement is the one route by which force becomes possible for council tax. After at least 2 clear days' written notice, they can use reasonable force, such as a locksmith, to come back in and take the goods listed. No court warrant is needed. Do not wait for the next visit.

   Contact them with a revised offer, and write to your council explaining what has changed. See taking control of goods.

The fees Sherforce can charge

Fees are set by the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, as amended from 1 May 2026. They are fixed by law and identical for every enforcement firm, so Sherforce cannot invent a fee, negotiate one upward, or charge for a stage they have not reached.

See bailiff fees explained for how to challenge a fee that has been added wrongly.

What Sherforce can and cannot do

High Court enforcement officers act under a writ of control, and some of their powers are wider than those of an agent collecting council tax, particularly at business premises. The rules below apply to council tax enforcement, so if a High Court writ is involved, get advice specific to that debt.

The full position is in bailiff rights and powers, and the list of exempt goods is in what bailiffs can and cannot take.

Check the agent is genuine

Through a closed door, you are entitled to ask for the agent's name, the firm they work for and their certificate number. Every enforcement agent must hold a certificate granted by a county court judge, and certificates can be checked on the government's register of certificated enforcement agents.

How to stop Sherforce: get the account recalled

This is the outcome worth aiming for, and it is more achievable than most people expect. Councils regularly recall accounts, particularly where there is vulnerability, where the account was passed over in error, or where a sustainable offer is put to them directly.

1. Work out what you can genuinely afford after rent or mortgage, current council tax, energy and food. Offer slightly less than the figure you arrive at, so the arrangement survives a bad month.
2. Write to both Sherforce and your council on the same day. Only the council can recall the account, so a letter to the firm alone rarely achieves it.
3. Ask explicitly for the arrangement to be accepted, the account to be recalled, and confirmation in writing.
4. Say if anyone in the household is vulnerable. Where a debtor is vulnerable, the enforcement stage fee is not recoverable unless you were first given an adequate opportunity to get assistance and advice.
5. Keep copies of everything, and note the date you sent it.

Dear Sir or Madam

Council tax account: [your council tax account number]
Liability order date: [date, if you know it]
Your reference: [the reference on their letter]

I am writing about the council tax arrears being collected by Sherforce.

I want to resolve this and I am not disputing that the debt is owed. I cannot pay the balance in full. I have set out my income and outgoings below and I can afford to pay £[amount] per month, starting on [date].

Income each month
  Wages / benefits: £[  ]
  Other income: £[  ]
  Total: £[  ]

Essential outgoings each month
  Rent or mortgage: £[  ]
  Council tax (current year): £[  ]
  Gas and electricity: £[  ]
  Water: £[  ]
  Food and housekeeping: £[  ]
  Travel: £[  ]
  Other priority debts: £[  ]
  Total: £[  ]

This leaves £[  ] per month, and my offer above is what I can sustain.

Please confirm in writing that this arrangement is accepted and that no further enforcement action or fees will be added while I keep to it. I am also asking the council to recall this account.

[Include this paragraph only if it applies to you:]

I would ask you to note that [I am / a member of my household is] vulnerable because of [reason, for example a long-term health condition, a disability, a recent bereavement, pregnancy, or being a single parent of a young child]. I understand that where a debtor is vulnerable the enforcement stage fee is not recoverable unless I have first been given an adequate opportunity to get assistance and advice.

I am sending a copy of this letter to the council.

Yours faithfully

[your name]
[your address]
[the date]

If something has gone wrong

Complain in writing, in this order, and keep a copy at every stage:

1. Sherforce themselves. Set out precisely what you say is wrong, whether that is a fee charged at a stage not reached, a visit outside permitted hours, goods listed that are not yours, or conduct you consider improper. Ask for a full breakdown of every fee, with the date and basis of each.
2. Your council. The firm acts as its agent and the council remains responsible. Councils can and do instruct firms to remove fees.
3. The court. The county court can decide a dispute about the fees. This is the formal route and is rarely needed, but it exists.
4. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, or the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, once the council's own complaints procedure is finished.

Whatever happens, write down the date, the time, the agent's name and certificate number and what was said, as soon as you can after any contact. A contemporaneous note is what makes a complaint effective. Without it, it becomes one account against another.

Common questions about Sherforce

Get help with this

We deal with councils and enforcement firms every day. The advice is free, we do not charge upfront fees, and we will tell you plainly whether the fees you have been charged look right.

This page covers Sherforce.