You should know
If you do not have the correct details for the respondent you are claiming against, it may lead to your claim not being enforced.
Your small claims Decree
A small claims Decree is an order stating what you are owed by the respondent.
It is issued by the small claims registrar to you if the respondent has not paid after receiving a Notice to Pay. Your small claims Decree will have an End of Small Claims letter with it, this will advise you on the next steps.
This is the end of the court office's role in your case.
Enforcement of a small claim
The enforcement of a small claim is the legal method to recover what you are owed from the respondent.
The Sheriff's Office is an office with the authority to enforce the Decree on your behalf. They do this by seizing goods to the value of the claim, or by facilitating a repayment plan between you and the respondent.
Small claims enforcement procedure
To begin enforcement of a Decree through the Sheriff's Office, you must submit the original copy of your Decree to the Sheriff's Office. There is a fee associated with this (see below). Please contact your local court office for the details of the relevant Sheriff's Office you will need to attend.
There are dedicated Sheriff Office's in Dublin and Cork, but in other counties they are located within certain court offices.
Once you submit the original copy of your Decree, the sheriff or a court messenger acting on behalf of the sheriff will make contact with the respondent through a warning letter. This is to let the respondent know the sheriff or court messenger is going to visit them at their address.
Upon visiting the respondent, the sheriff will be in a position to assess if there are goods to be seized, or if a repayment plan can be facilitated between you and respondent. If there are no goods to be seized, or there is no capacity to repay the claim the sheriff will inform you of this.
Sheriff Office fees
You can pay sheriff fees at the relevant court office (or in Dublin or Cork, at the Sheriff's Office). You can pay these fees by cash, card, or cheque.
Note: Please see S.I. No. 644/2005 - Sheriff's Fees and Expenses Order, 2005 for details on all Sheriff fees/costs.