If you don't keep to the terms of the court order, your creditor has a number of other options to try and make you pay. One of these is to get a further court order called a charging order. A charging order secures the debt against your home or other property you own. This makes the debt very serious. It means that you could lose your home if you don't pay back what you owe.
Once a charging order has been made, your creditor can apply to the court for another order to force you to sell your home. This is called an order for sale.
This page tells you about when a creditor can apply for a charging order, what happens when they apply and if they try to force you to sell your property.
If your creditor tries to get a charging order, you should get urgent help from a specialist debt adviser at your local Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.
For more information about CCJs and court orders when you owe money, see You are taken to court for debt.
When can a creditor apply for a charging order?
Your creditor can only apply for a charging order if they've already got a county court judgment (CCJ) or other court order against you.
The rules about when a creditor can apply for a charging order changed from 1 October 2012. Before you start, check:
- the date your creditor applied for the original CCJ
- the date the CCJ was granted
- what the CCJ says about repayments.
- A creditor must take you to court to get a charging order.
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