A bailiff is an authorised officer of the court, appointed by the sheriff of Western Australia to: serve court documents seize and sell a judgment debtor's real or personal property. A bailiff could be at your door for one of several reasons. For example, they could be there to give you a summons to a court hearing. The bailiff may be there to enforce a court order if you owe someone money ...
What a bailiff can and can’t assist with If the bailiff attends at a residential or business address, being the last known address of the defendant, and the person there indicates that the defendant is no longer there, the bailiff may be unable to effect service.
The sheriff is an officer of the court who gets their authority from legislation. The sheriff is responsible for enforcing civil judgments, including warrants and property (seizure and sale) orders. They also serve documents for the court or parties when requested. The sheriff usually appoints bailiffs throughout WA to assist them. The sheriff or bailiff will not stop or suspend enforcement ...
What if I am having difficulty serving someone? If you are having difficulty, you may have to ask an enforcement officer (such as the sheriff or a bailiff) to serve the claim. Ask the staff at the court to tell you how to arrange this. An enforcement officer has wider powers to serve documents.
A property (seizure and sale) order allows the sheriff or bailiff to take and sell the judgment debtor's personal property (cars, boats, and some personal items) or real estate (for example, a house) to pay the money the court says is owed to you. This will include the judgment debt, interest, and enforcement costs.