Largest enforcement group acquires rival CN Gaunt & Son

CN Gaunt & Son, a £800,000 turnover firm, is now part of High Court Enforcement (HCE) Group, which has offices in Cardiff, Colwyn Bay, London, Liverpool and Swansea. It employs more than 200 staff, including over 20 authorised High Court enforcement officers and has a turnover of £7.2m.

CN Gaunt & Son, which was founded in 1874, had been owned since 2008 by partners Gary Bovan and James Metcalfe, who were advised on the sale by Duncan Firman, a solicitor in the corporate team of Yorkshire law firm Gordons.

The firm’s expertise covers the enforcement of unpaid county court judgments, commercial rent forfeiture and distraint, evictions and process serving.

HCE Group provides a range of recovery services for businesses, organisations and individuals. It also engages over matters such as employment tribunal awards, commercial writs of possession and traveller evictions, while also dealing with commercial landlord services, process serving, investigations, vehicle recovery, recovery of parking fines and unpaid council tax.

Gordon Dean, group director, HCE Group, said: “The purchase is a strategic coup for the group, cementing our status as an industry leader with strong local links and unparalleled experience in enforcing High Court warrants.”

HCE Group said that all 14 staff at CN Gaunt & Son transferred to HCE with the takeover. Mr Firman said: “The CN Gaunt sale makes sense, as both parties will benefit from it. HCE Group has established a presence in a key area of the country where it wasn’t fully represented previously.

“James and Gary will remain working within the group, with James as enforcement director for the north of England, overseeing field officers, and Gary as director of new business and client care, responsible for enhancing links with existing clients and cultivating new business opportunities.”