CDER

HMCTS Magistrates’ Court Enforcement

A national enforcement agent and arrest service.

HMCTS MAGISTRATES' COURT FINES

CDER Group is contracted by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), for enforcement services in relation to the collection of financial impositions and Community Penalty Breach Warrants.

CDER Group is the primary contractor in the London, South-East and Midlands Region and is the secondary contractor in all other regions of England and Wales.

Court fines we enforce

Unlike other types of penalties or debts, Magistrates’ court financial impositions are not subject to limitation, they do not become statute barred and they cannot be included in a bankruptcy order.

The court fines we enforce include the following:

  • Warrants of control (for unpaid financial impositions)
  • Arrest warrants (bail, no bail, breach and committal)
  • Compensation and confiscation orders
  • Clamping orders

HMCTS use a range of sanctions to enforce a financial imposition. If one approach is unsuccessful the court is likely to issue another, more serious sanction to bring the matter to a close. For example if you fail to pay a warrant of control the court may issue a warrant for your immediate arrest.

 

CONTACT US TO FIND OUT MORE

MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT

Use our secure online portal to
make a payment, request a payment plan
or manage your account

CUSTOMER PORTAL

 

TO MAKE A PAYMENT

CDER Group provides a full range of payment options, including 24 hour online and automated telephone facilities.

Click here to pay online, set up a payment plan or manage your account using our Customer Portal.

Telephone 0330 159 6553 (local rate) to pay using our automated payment line or Contact Centre.

 

TO DISCUSS YOUR CASE

If you have received a letter, phone call or visit from one of our staff and have a query, need to provide documentation or need to discuss your case you should contact us as soon as possible.

Click here to email our customer support team or call us on 0330 159 6553. First check the list of commonly asked questions below, which may provide a quick answer to your query.

 

TO MAKE A COMPLAINT

We aim to provide exceptional levels of customer care and service, and treat any complaints seriously. We view a complaint as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right.

CDER’s Customer Complaint Pack, which includes information about the complaints process and a complaint form, can be downloaded here.

COMMON QUESTIONS

If you have a question about a letter, phone call or visit you have received from CDER Group about a Magistrates’ Court matter, you may find an answer in the section below. Click on any question to show the answer.

General

I’ve received a letter for someone that does not live at my address, what shall I do?

The letter has been sent to your address on the instruction of the court.

To remove the address, you will need to provide us with proof of residency. This can be either a recent mortgage or council tax statement, tenancy agreement or a utility bill dated within the last 3 months.

Once received we will:

  • notify our client to enable them to update their records
  • remove your address meaning that you will receive no further letters or visits from us

Please be aware that if the documentation supplied is not clear we may need to contact you again to confirm the information.

Click here to send us an email with the information we need. You should attach photographs or scanned images of the supporting evidence.

Until we receive this information we must act on the instructions we have so please provide the information as soon as possible to avoid further inconvenience.

I have already paid this fine, what can I do to stop this action?

If you believe that this matter relates to a fine that you have already paid please provide evidence of your payment to us as soon as possible so that we can stop further action.

We require a copy of the receipt which should show clearly the amount paid, payment reference and date of payment. You should also include any supporting information (method of payment, to whom and where payment was made) which will assist in resolving this matter quickly.

Evidence should be sent quoting your case reference, name and address to

Email: hmcts-customer@contactcder.co.uk

or

Post: PO Box 58, Darlington, DL1 9AE

Please note that we may need to contact you further if the information provided is insufficient to confirm payment in respect of this specific debt and until we receive appropriate evidence we are required to continue recovery action.

Warrants of Control

I do not know what this fine is about, what shall I do?

This warrant has been issued following the non-payment of a fine that has been imposed on you by the criminal courts.

Details of the court that issued the fine, the court reference and the date of the court hearing(s) to which this warrant relates are included on the Initial Contact Notice and all other letters CDER has sent to you.

If you believe that this warrant has been issued to you incorrectly and you do not owe the sum outstanding you must contact the court immediately.

Please be aware that CDER are required to continue enforcement action until such time as the court withdraws the warrant or payment is made.

I have received a notice that you will apply to force entry into my property, how can I stop this?

Please contact us immediately to avoid further costs and forced entry action.

A warrant has been issued by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) following non-payment of a criminal fine. CDER Group has issued a number of communications to you and our Enforcement Agents have attended your property on more than one occasion to resolve this matter.

We are required to recover the sums outstanding, using forced entry if necessary if you continue to ignore our payment requests. If you cannot pay in full immediately we may be able to agree a payment arrangement to clear this debt.

Please be aware that we may also refer this matter back to the court for consideration of issuing a warrant for your arrest.

When do I need to make payment by?

You should pay the amount outstanding as soon as possible to avoid further fees being added.

You will find a ‘payment by date’ on the latest notification you have received from us. This will also tell you the balance outstanding and the various ways payment can be made.

This information, along with all case details, is available when you sign into the customer portal (click here) and you can make an online payment now using either a debit or credit card. You will need your CDER Group and Client references, which are shown on all communications received from us.

If you cannot find this information please call us on 0330 159 6553 (local rate) and one of our agents will be able to help you.

I sold this vehicle before the offence took place, what shall I do?

If you claim not to be responsible for this fine, having sold the vehicle before the offence was committed, you must contact the Magistrates Court immediately.

The Court will have sent legal notices to you prior to issuing this warrant. CDER is under a duty to enforce the warrant, as issued, and cannot make any decisions with regard to the warrant validity.

When will the Enforcement Agent attend my property?

Enforcement Agents may conduct visits between the hours of 6am and 9pm daily.

An Enforcement Agent will be scheduled to attend your property if you do not pay or contact us to arrange payment by the date stated in the Initial Contact Notice sent to you. This is known as the ‘compliance stage’ of recovery.

You will avoid additional fees being added to the amount outstanding (as detailed on the reverse of the Initial Contact Notice) if you resolve this matter before an Agent visits your property.

I cannot afford the instalment amount I agreed to pay, what can I do?

Please contact us immediately on 0330 159 6553 (local rate) to discuss the situation.

We appreciate that people’s circumstances can change and we will work with you to help identify repayment options to take these into account. Our Agents have access to information regarding relevant benefits you may be able to claim, and can provide you with details of Debt and Welfare Support Agencies who will be able to provide specialist support.

You should not stop or reduce your payments without agreeing with us first as your case will be issued to an Enforcement Agent and further costs may be incurred.

I am the new owner of this vehicle and I am not liable for the fine, what shall I do?

If you claim not to be responsible for this fine, having acquired the vehicle after the offence was committed, you must contact the Magistrates Court immediately.

The Court will have sent legal notices to you prior to issuing this warrant. CDER is under a duty to enforce the warrant, as issued, and cannot make any decisions with regard to the warrant’s validity.

What does Forced Entry mean?

If you fail to pay or engage with us to resolve this matter, we may apply under Paragraph 17 of Schedule 12 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 to enter your property, BY FORCE, using locksmiths where required, to execute a Magistrates’ court warrant and seize goods to cover the balance outstanding.

Financial Arrest Warrants

I have received notification of a warrant for my arrest, what does this mean?

A warrant for your immediate arrest has been issued by the criminal courts and sent to CDER Group for execution. The quickest and easiest way to resolve this is to pay the outstanding amount in full either by:

  1. signing into the customer portal (click here) and paying online using either a debit or credit card. You will need your CDER Group and Client references, which are shown on all communications received from us.
  2. calling our payment line on 0330 159 6553

If you are unable to pay contact our Arrest Support team immediately on 0330 041 4890 to agree a date for you to attend court voluntarily.

If you do not pay or contact us an arrest officer will attend your property to arrest and transport you to court on sight. An arrest officer may enforce this warrant anywhere (e.g. place of employment, relative or friend’s property or public place) at any time.

If arrested outside of court hours you may be detained overnight in police custody until the court is available to hear the matter.

I’ve received a letter for someone that does not live at my address, what shall I do?

The letter has been sent to your address on the instruction of HMCTS.

To remove the address, you will need to provide us with proof of residency and that the named individual is not resident at the address. This can be either a recent mortgage or council tax statement, tenancy agreement or a utility bill dated within the last 3 months.

If the named individual was a former resident please provide information of when the individual left the property.

Once received and validated we will:

  1. notify HMCTS to enable them to update their records
  2. remove your address meaning that you will receive no further letters or visits from us

Please be aware that if the documentation supplied is not clear we may need to contact you again to confirm the information.

Click here to send us an email with the information we need. You should attach photographs or scanned images of the supporting evidence.

Until we receive this information, we must act on the instructions we have, so please provide the information as soon as possible to avoid further inconvenience.

I cannot afford to pay immediately; can I agree a payment plan?

The warrant requires you to be arrested if you fail to pay the amount owing in full.

CDER is unable to agree a payment plan with you, however please contact us as there are a number of options which may mean that you can avoid immediate arrest:

  1. If you agree to voluntarily attend court on a fixed date and time your attendance will close this arrest warrant action. Please be aware that if you fail to attend a planned surrender date a further arrest warrant will be issued for your immediate arrest and your non-attendance will be taken into consideration by the court when making any further orders.
  1. If you are employed or in receipt of benefits and can make an initial instalment payment to us you can apply to the court for the balance of the money owed to be collected directly from your wages (Attachment of Earnings) or Benefits (Deductions of Benefits). This option is only available if you have not previously broken a payment agreement with the court regarding this matter and the warrant issued is not a Warrant of Commitment or Committal to Custody Overnight in a Police Station. The initial payment must be made before an application can be accepted by us on your behalf. Please call us on 0330 041 4890 to speak to an advisor and ensure that you have your employee / benefit details available as these are required for the application. If the court refuses the application a further warrant for your arrest will be sent to us for immediate execution.
  1. If you can pay 50% or more of the amount owing to CDER immediately you can apply to the court for a payment plan to clear the balance with them directly. This option is only available if you have not previously broken a payment agreement with the court regarding this matter and the warrant issued is not a Warrant of Commitment or Committal to Custody Overnight in a Police Station. The initial payment must be made before an application can be accepted by us on your behalf. Please call us on 0330 041 4890 to speak to an advisor. If the court refuses the application a further warrant for your arrest will be sent to us for immediate execution.

I cannot pay, what can I do to avoid arrest?

The warrant requires you to be arrested if you fail to pay the amount owing in full.

CDER is unable to agree a payment plan with you, however please contact us as there are a number of options which may mean that you can avoid immediate arrest:

  1. If you agree to voluntarily attend court on a fixed date and time your attendance will close this arrest warrant action. Please be aware that if you fail to attend a planned surrender date a further arrest warrant will be issued for your immediate arrest and your non-attendance will be taken into consideration by the court when making any further orders.
  1. If you are employed or in receipt of benefits and can make an initial instalment payment to us you can apply to the court for the balance of the money owed to be collected directly from your wages (Attachment of Earnings) or Benefits (Deductions of Benefits). This option is only available if you have not previously broken a payment agreement with the court regarding this matter and the warrant issued is not a Warrant of Commitment or Committal to Custody Overnight in a Police Station. The initial payment must be made before an application can be accepted by us on your behalf. Please call us on 0330 041 4890 to speak to an advisor and ensure that you have your employee / benefit details available as these are required for the application. If the court refuses the application a further warrant for your arrest will be sent to us for immediate execution.
  1. If you can pay 50% or more of the amount owing to CDER immediately you can apply to the court for a payment plan to clear the balance with them directly. This option is only available if you have not previously broken a payment agreement with the court regarding this matter and the warrant issued is not a Warrant of Commitment or Committal to Custody Overnight in a Police Station. The initial payment must be made before an application can be accepted by us on your behalf. Please call us on 0330 041 4890 to speak to an advisor. If the court refuses the application a further warrant for your arrest will be sent to us for immediate execution.

I cannot attend the court date I agreed, what can I do?

You must treat the court hearing date as a priority. Non-attendance may negatively influence the decision of the court when making any order against you.

If you cannot attend due to unforeseen circumstances which cannot be avoided (illness, Covid-19 self-isolation) please contact us immediately on 0330 041 4890.

Evidence will be required.

How can I stop my arrest under the commitment warrant/committal to custody order that has been issued?

The only way to avoid immediate arrest and detainment is to pay the amount you owe in full.

You can make an online payment now or call us on 0330 041 4890 (24-hour payment line) using either a debit or credit card. You will need your CDER Group and Client references, which are shown on all communications received from us.

If your circumstances have changed since the warrant was issued you can be taken back before the Court for them to re-consider whether immediate imprisonment remains appropriate.

Where can CDER Arrest Officers make an arrest?

CDER Arrest Officers can arrest you anywhere in England and Wales. This can be are your home, your place of employment, at friends and neighbours, the corner shop, your children’s school or the local pub.

Arrest Officers will make every effort to be discreet and avoid sensitive locations for arrest however if you consistently refuse to engage with us to resolve the matter, they are required to arrest you on sight regardless of location.

What does ‘circulated to the police’ mean?

Details of the warrant have been added to the Police National Computer system. This means that the police as well as CDER Arrest Officers have been requested to arrest you and bring you before the court.

The Police can arrest and detain you during any routine checks or enquiries they may make including at airports when departing or arriving back from trips abroad.

When can I be arrested?

You can be arrested and detained when executing a financial arrest warrant at any time. If you are arrested outside of court hours you may be held in police custody until a court is available to hear the matter.

What does Forced Entry mean?

If you fail to engage with us to agree your attendance at court and actively avoid arrest, as Approved Enforcement Agents, we have the power to force entry and search property and/or premises under the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980, Schedule 4a. In such circumstances we will apply to the court for authority to take such action and use locksmiths to enter a property where we believe you are present.

If we are required to use force to execute the warrant this will be taken into consideration by the court when it considers any further orders it makes against you.

Community Penalty Breach Warrants

I do not know what this is about?

This warrant has been issued by HMCTS on behalf of the Probation Service or Young Offenders Service. Details of the court that issued the order, the court reference and the date of the court hearing(s) to which this warrant relates are included on the Initial Contact Notice and all other letters CDER has sent to you.

If you believe that this warrant has been issued to you incorrectly you must contact the court immediately. Please be aware that CDER are required to continue enforcement action until such time as the court withdraws the warrant or your attendance before the court.

How can I avoid arrest?

The Breach warrant requires your attendance at court and has been circulated to the police who may arrest you on sight or during any routine checks (general enquiries, airport checks when going on holiday).

To avoid immediate arrest, you must contact us straight away. If you do so we can book a court, date and time for you to attend court voluntarily. Please be aware that if you fail to attend a planned surrender date a further warrant will be issued for your immediate arrest and your non-attendance will be taken into consideration by the court when making any further orders against you.

I cannot attend the court date I agreed, what can I do?

You must treat the court hearing date as a priority. Non-attendance will negatively influence the decision of the court when making any order against you.

If you cannot attend due to unforeseen circumstances which cannot be avoided (illness, Covid-19 self-isolation) please contact us immediately on 0330 041 4890.

Evidence will be required.

Where can CDER Arrest Officers make an arrest?

CDER Arrest Officers can arrest you anywhere in England and Wales. This can be are your home, your place of employment, at friends and neighbours, the corner shop, your children’s school or the local pub.

Arrest Officers will make every effort to be discreet and avoid sensitive locations for arrest however if you consistently refuse to engage with us to resolve the matter, they are required to arrest you on sight regardless of location.

What happens if I refuse to agree a date to attend court?

An Arrest Officer will attend your address (and any other address you are associated with such as employer, family, DWP office) to arrest and transport you to prison.

Breach warrants do not expire and both the Police and CDER Arrest Officers will continue enforce the warrant until your attendance at court is confirmed or the court withdraws the warrant.

What does ‘circulated to the police’ mean?

Details of the warrant have been added to the Police National Computer system. This means that the police as well as CDER Arrest Officers have been requested to arrest you and bring you before the court.

The Police can arrest and detain you during any routine checks or enquiries they may make including at airports when departing or arriving back from trips abroad.

When can I be arrested?

You can be arrested and detailed under a Breach warrant at any time. If you are arrested outside of court hours you may be held in police custody until a court is available to hear the matter.

What does Forced Entry mean?

If you fail to engage with us to agree your attendance at court and actively avoid arrest, as Approved Enforcement Agents, we have the power to force entry and search property and/or premises under the Magistrates Courts Act 1980, Schedule 4a. In such circumstances we will apply to the court for authority to take such action and use locksmiths to enter a property where we believe you are present.

If we are required to use force to execute the warrant this will be taken into consideration by the court when it considers any further orders it makes against you.

Clamping Orders

Can I arrange to pay by instalments?

You cannot enter into a payment arrangement to settle a clamping order. Payment of the fine and all charges must be made in full or the vehicle may be sold to satisfy the debt.

What happens if I cannot pay?

The vehicle will be clamped and if you do not pay, the vehicle will be removed after 24 hours.

You have removed my vehicle; how do I get it back?

You must pay the amount (including charges) in full. If you fail to pay CDER will apply to the court ten days after the vehicle is clamped to ask for an order to sell the car.

What happens if an application for sale of the vehicle is made?

You will receive notification of the court hearing when the application for sale will be considered. It is important that you attend this hearing. The order to sell is a Magistrates’ court decision.

When will my vehicle be sold?

The vehicle will remain in storage for 1 month from the date the clamp was applied before the vehicle is sold. You will be responsible for all storage charges. These charges will be added to the debt you owe and will be deducted from the proceeds of sale.

What happens to the money when the vehicle is sold at auction?

The proceeds from the sale of the vehicle will be used to pay the costs of enforcement (CDER Group fees, removal, storage and auctioneers fees) and then the outstanding fine amount.

What if the vehicle is no longer owned by me or has been written off?

You will need to fully evidence that the vehicle has been sold (e.g. receipt and DVLA change of ownership, insurance cancellation) or has been written off (insurance details). The fine owed will remain outstanding and the court will decide an alternative enforcement action to recover the sums. This may be a warrant for your arrest or a warrant of control to seize and sell your property if the fine remains unpaid.

I am the new owner of this vehicle and I am not liable for the debt, what shall I do?

If you claim not to be responsible for this fine, having acquired the vehicle after the offence was committed, you must contact the Magistrates Court immediately.

The Court will have sent legal notices to you prior to issuing this warrant. CDER is under a duty to enforce the warrant, as issued, and cannot make any decisions with regard to the warrant’s validity.