Bailiff companies · 7 min read
CDER Group bailiffs: council tax, parking and TfL letters explained
CDER Group collects council tax, parking and Transport for London penalties. How your debt reached CDER, how to set up a payment plan you can keep and what its agents can't do.
- Fact-checked
- Against official sources
- Published
- Last checked
- Next review due
- April 2027
- Applies to
- England and Wales
- Sources
- 5 listed on this page
Independent guidance, not a government service. This page is general information about the law in England and Wales, not financial or legal advice. Debt solutions have fees, risks and consequences. For free, impartial advice, contact MoneyHelper or a debt charity.
The short answer
CDER Group is a private enforcement company formed in 2020 from JBW Group and two other firms. It collects council tax, parking penalties and Transport for London penalties, along with court fines and other public sector debts. A CDER letter usually means a £79 compliance fee has been added. Pay or agree an affordable plan before any visit and the fees should stop there.
CDER is a newer name than most bailiff firms, so a first letter can be confusing. It’s a genuine company and it’s accredited by the Enforcement Conduct Board. That doesn’t mean you have to accept whatever it asks for. The law sets the fees, the notice period and what its agents can do.
How your debt reached CDER
CDER doesn’t buy debts. A creditor with legal authority passes the case to it. The route depends on the debt.
| Debt | What lets CDER act | Who the creditor is |
|---|---|---|
| Council tax | A liability order from the magistrates’ court | Your council |
| Council parking penalty | A warrant of control via the Traffic Enforcement Centre | Your council |
| TfL penalty, such as a red route PCN | A warrant of control via the Traffic Enforcement Centre | Transport for London |
| Magistrates’ court fine | A warrant issued by the court | HM Courts & Tribunals Service |
CDER explains the TfL route on its website. If a penalty isn’t paid or challenged within 21 days of the Order for Recovery, TfL asks the Traffic Enforcement Centre at Northampton County Court for a warrant, and the case passes to CDER. If you never received the earlier notices, you may be able to reopen it with forms TE9 and TE7. See parking fines and bailiffs.
For council tax, read council tax arrears and bailiffs. Court fines have tougher rules, which we cover in our JBW bailiffs guide, because JBW held the court fines contracts before it became CDER.
The first letter and your notice period
The first letter is a Notice of Enforcement. For cases passed to CDER on or after 1 May 2026, an agent can’t visit to take control of goods until at least 14 clear days have passed. A debt adviser can ask for this to be extended to 28 clear days, as long as they ask before the first period ends. Read Notice of Enforcement explained.
- Debt passed to the bailiffsCompliance fee: £79
- Notice of Enforcement sentAt least 14 clear days before a visit (28 if a debt adviser asks)
- Best time to actPay, agree an affordable plan or get Breathing Space. Fees stay at £79.
- First visit to your homeEnforcement fee: £247 + 7.5% of the debt over £1,900
- Controlled goods agreement or goods removedYou get an inventory of the goods
- Sale or disposal stageSale fee: £116 + 7.5% over £1,900, plus storage and auction costs
Simplified illustration for most debts (council tax, parking, fines, county court). High Court writs use a different fee scale. Not advice.
Setting up a payment plan with CDER
CDER’s website lets you pay in full online, or register an account to set up and manage a payment plan. It says it can agree a plan based on your circumstances, within guidelines set by its clients. In practice, the council or TfL sets the limits and CDER works inside them.
To give yourself the best chance of a plan you can keep:
- Write a short budget. Income first, then rent, current council tax, energy, food, travel and other essentials.
- Offer what’s left, or less. A plan that’s too high usually breaks, and a broken plan tends to lead to a visit and more fees.
- Get it in writing. Ask for the amount, the dates and the total owed.
- Go to the creditor if CDER says no. Ask the council or TfL to accept your offer or take the case back.
Tell CDER and the creditor if you’re unwell, disabled, recently bereaved, caring for someone or struggling to understand the letters. See bailiffs and vulnerable people.
The fees CDER can charge
| Stage | Cases passed to CDER from 1 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Compliance | £79 |
| Enforcement (first visit) | £247 + 7.5% of the debt over £1,900 |
| Sale or disposal | £116 + 7.5% of the debt over £1,900 |
Cases passed before 1 May 2026 stay on the old scale: £75, then £235 plus 7.5% of the debt over £1,500. Check any bill with our bailiff fees calculator.
What CDER’s agents can’t do
For council tax, parking and TfL penalties, CDER’s agents:
- can’t force entry to your home; they can only come in peacefully
- can’t visit outside 6am to 9pm to take control of goods
- can’t enter if only children under 16 or vulnerable people are home
- can’t take essentials, work tools worth up to £1,350 or someone else’s belongings
They can clamp a car that belongs to you. They can’t take one on finance or one displaying a valid Blue Badge. Read can bailiffs take my car?
Other ways to stop enforcement
- Breathing Space pauses most bailiff action for 60 days while you get advice. It doesn’t cover court fines. See our Breathing Space guide.
- Council tax help: check you’re getting every discount and Council Tax Reduction.
- Formal debt solutions can stop enforcement for the debts they include. Compare them in debt solutions compared.
Complaining about CDER
- Use CDER’s complaints process and ask it to pause enforcement while it looks into things.
- Send a copy to the creditor. Councils and TfL are responsible for how their debts are collected.
- For council debts, you can then go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
- CDER is accredited by the Enforcement Conduct Board, so an unresolved complaint can go to the ECB.
Our guide has a template: how to complain about a bailiff.
Frequently asked questions
Is CDER Group a real bailiff company?
Yes. It was formed in 2020 and is accredited by the Enforcement Conduct Board. Contact it using details from its official website or your letter, never a number from an unexpected text.
Was CDER Group called JBW?
Yes. JBW Group, Phoenix Commercial Collections and Collect Services merged in 2020 to become CDER Group.
Can CDER take my car for a TfL penalty?
Yes, if the car belongs to you and isn’t exempt, once the notice period has passed. Cars on finance and those displaying a valid Blue Badge are protected.
Can I pay CDER in instalments?
Usually, yes. Offer what you can genuinely afford, in writing, and ask the creditor to step in if a fair offer is refused.
Sources
- CDER Group, I’ve received a letter or visit
- CDER Group, Transport for London
- Enforcement Conduct Board, Accredited Firms Register
- legislation.gov.uk, The Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026
- GOV.UK, Appeal against a penalty charge notice: if you get a court order
How we wrote this article
- Research: written from primary sources such as legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK and the Insolvency Service, then fact-checked by a second member of our team. The sources are listed above.
- Checked: last checked on . Next review due April 2027, or sooner if the rules change.
- Scope: applies to England and Wales. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, read our Scotland and Northern Ireland guide. It is general information, not personal advice.
- Independence: we are not a government website or service, and we are not connected to any council, court or enforcement company.
- Money: we may receive a fee if we introduce you to a debt advice firm. This doesn't change what we write. How we're paid.
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