Options for enforcing a Tribunal Order

Agreements and decisions made in the Disputes Tribunal are binding and can be enforced in the same way as an order of the District Court.

You can only get an order enforced after its deadline has passed – so, if your order says that the other side has 28 days to pay you, you’ll have to wait until it’s been more than 28 days before you enforce the order.

If the other party does not comply with the order, you can:

• write a letter or email to the other party reminding them to comply with the order and including the next steps you’ll take to enforce the order (you could write this yourself, or instruct a lawyer or advocate to write it on your behalf)
• take the matter to a debt collection agency (the agency will usually charge a fee or a percentage of the debt)
• apply to the Disputes Tribunal for part of an agreed settlement to be enforced
• apply to the District Court for the order to be enforced.

It’s free to apply to the Disputes Tribunal to get certain orders enforced. You just have to fill out a form and send it to the District Court.

• If you and the other party had reached agreement for the order, use form 8 on the Disputes Tribunal website, here (or go to disputestribunal.govt.nz and search “Request to enforce part of an agreed settlement”).
• If the Disputes Tribunal referee made a work order for you, use form 7 on the Disputes Tribunal website, here (or go to disputestribunal.govt.nz and search“Request to enforce work order”.