HCEO Fee Structure Explained
A clear breakdown of High Court Enforcement Officer fees at each stage of the enforcement process, including the dual-rate schedules in force from 1 May 2026.
Written by RCU Team
Published on 01/03/2026
How HCEO Fees Work
When a High Court Enforcement Officer (HCEO) is instructed to enforce a Writ of Control, their fees are structured across four distinct stages. Each stage represents a step in the enforcement process, and fees are only incurred as the enforcement progresses through each phase.
The crucial point for creditors to understand is this: in successful enforcement actions, these fees are added to the total debt and recovered from the debtor. You do not pay them out of your own pocket when enforcement succeeds.
How the 1 May 2026 Changes Apply to Your Writ
The Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 came into force on 1 May 2026 and revised the statutory HCEO fee schedule for the first time since 2014. Which schedule applies to your enforcement is determined by the date the Writ of Control was sealed by the Court:
- Writs sealed up to 30 April 2026 are charged under the original 2014 fee schedule.
- Writs sealed from 1 May 2026 onwards are charged under the revised 2026 schedule.
Because writs are valid for 12 months, both schedules will run in parallel for roughly a year as pre-1-May writs work through the system. The statutory tables for each schedule are reproduced in full below.
Statutory Fee Tables
Writs sealed up to 30 April 2026 (Schedule 1, 2014 Regulations)
| Fee stage | Fixed fee | Percentage fee (regulation 7): percentage of sum to be recovered exceeding £1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance stage | £75.00 | 0% |
| First enforcement stage | £190.00 | 7.5% |
| Second enforcement stage | £495.00 | 0% |
| Sale or disposal stage | £525.00 | 7.5% |
Writs sealed from 1 May 2026 (2026 Amendment Regulations, Table 2)
| Fee stage | Fixed fee | Percentage fee (regulation 7): percentage of sum to be recovered exceeding £1200 |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance stage | £79.00 | 0% |
| First enforcement stage | £200.00 | 7.5% |
| Second enforcement stage | £520.00 | 0% |
| Sale or disposal stage | £550.00 | 7.5% |
What Each Stage Means
Compliance stage
The compliance stage begins as soon as the HCEO receives the Writ of Control. At this point, the officer makes initial contact with the debtor, typically by sending a formal Notice of Enforcement. This notice gives the debtor a final opportunity to pay the debt in full before the officer attends in person.
Many debts are resolved at this stage. The formal notification from a High Court Enforcement Officer, backed by the authority of a Writ of Control, is often sufficient to prompt payment without any physical attendance being required.
First enforcement stage
This stage is triggered when the HCEO makes their first visit to the debtor’s premises. The officer will attend in person to assess the situation, identify goods of sufficient value, and seek payment or agreement from the debtor.
The percentage element means that for larger debts, the fee increases proportionally. The threshold above which the percentage fee applies is £1,000 for writs sealed up to 30 April 2026, and £1,200 for writs sealed from 1 May 2026.
Second enforcement stage
If the debtor does not pay or reach a satisfactory arrangement following the first visit, the enforcement moves to the second stage. This covers all subsequent visits by the HCEO up to and including the removal of goods from the debtor’s premises.
This is a single fixed fee regardless of how many additional visits the officer needs to make. Whether the HCEO returns once or multiple times before removing goods, the fee is the same: £495 for writs sealed up to 30 April 2026, or £520 for writs sealed from 1 May 2026.
Sale or disposal stage
The final stage covers the sale or disposal of seized goods. Once goods have been removed, the HCEO arranges for their sale, typically at public auction, by private treaty, or through an onsite sale. The proceeds are then applied to the outstanding debt.
As with the first enforcement stage, there is a percentage element for amounts above the threshold (£1,000 for writs sealed up to 30 April 2026, £1,200 for writs sealed from 1 May 2026), so the fee scales with the value of the debt being recovered.
Worked Example
To illustrate how fees accumulate through a full enforcement, consider a debt of £3,000. The totals differ depending on which schedule applies to the writ.
Writ sealed up to 30 April 2026
| Stage | Fixed fee | Percentage fee | Stage total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance | £75.00 | — | £75.00 |
| First enforcement | £190.00 | £150.00 (7.5% of £2,000) | £340.00 |
| Second enforcement | £495.00 | — | £495.00 |
| Sale or disposal | £525.00 | £150.00 (7.5% of £2,000) | £675.00 |
| Total fees | £1,585.00 |
Writ sealed from 1 May 2026
| Stage | Fixed fee | Percentage fee | Stage total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance | £79.00 | — | £79.00 |
| First enforcement | £200.00 | £135.00 (7.5% of £1,800) | £335.00 |
| Second enforcement | £520.00 | — | £520.00 |
| Sale or disposal | £550.00 | £135.00 (7.5% of £1,800) | £685.00 |
| Total fees | £1,619.00 |
In both cases, in a successful enforcement these fees are recovered from the debtor in addition to the original debt. The creditor receives their £3,000 in full.
Who Pays the Fees?
Successful Enforcement
When the HCEO successfully recovers the debt, all enforcement fees are added to the amount owed by the debtor. The debtor pays the original debt plus all accrued HCEO fees. The creditor receives the full amount of their judgment.
Unsuccessful Enforcement
If the HCEO is unable to recover the debt (for example, because the debtor has no seizable assets or cannot be located) an Abortive Fee applies. RCU absorbs the Abortive Fee — £75+VAT for writs sealed up to 30 April 2026, £79+VAT for writs sealed from 1 May 2026. You are not left out of pocket for a failed enforcement attempt.
Critical Warning: Arrangements Made Directly with the Debtor
This is one of the most important points to understand about HCEO fees, and it catches many creditors off guard.
If you reach a payment arrangement directly with your debtor after you have already instructed RCU and an HCEO has been engaged, the HCEO’s fees become immediately payable by you, the creditor.
Once enforcement is in motion, the HCEO has incurred costs and committed resources. If you then settle with the debtor outside the enforcement process, the officer’s fees do not simply disappear. They fall to you to pay.
The lesson is straightforward: once you have instructed RCU and the enforcement process has begun, all communication and payment arrangements with the debtor should go through the HCEO. Do not negotiate directly with the debtor unless you are prepared to cover the enforcement fees yourself.
VAT Considerations
HCEO fees are subject to VAT at the standard rate. If your business is VAT-registered, you can reclaim the VAT element of any HCEO fees from HMRC through your normal VAT return. This applies to all four fee stages.
For businesses that are not VAT-registered, the VAT on HCEO fees is an additional cost that cannot be reclaimed. However, as noted above, in successful enforcement actions these fees (including VAT) are recovered from the debtor.
Planning Your Enforcement
Understanding the fee structure helps you make informed decisions about which debts to pursue through High Court Enforcement. Key considerations include:
- Minimum debt value: The judgment must be for at least £600 to qualify for Transfer Up. Given the fee structure, the process is most cost-effective for debts significantly above this threshold.
- Debtor’s means: If you have reason to believe the debtor has assets that can be seized and sold, enforcement is more likely to succeed and fees will be recovered from the debtor.
- Speed of resolution: Many debts are resolved at the compliance stage (£75, or £79 for writs sealed from 1 May 2026) or first enforcement stage, meaning the full fee schedule is rarely reached.
- Cost protection through RCU: With RCU absorbing abortive fees, the financial risk of unsuccessful enforcement is minimised.
Questions About Fees
If you have specific questions about how the fee structure applies to your situation, or if you want to understand the likely costs before proceeding with enforcement, our team can walk you through the numbers based on your judgment value.