Anvar Zakirov: If the debtor is not a malicious defaulter, we do not take aggressive measures.

      The Chief Bailiff of Tatarstan on how the work of the service has changed, on debt collection, and the use of AI

      Photo: Artem Dergunov

      The Chief Bailiff of Tatarstan, Anvar Zakirov, in an interview with the editor-in-chief of "Realnoe Vremya," spoke about the structure of collections, who does not pay alimony, how effective joint raids with the traffic police are, and what to do to avoid being among the debtors.

      A significant portion of debts is alimony

      — How much debt was collected in 2025 and what is the structure of collections? In 2025, over 22 billion rubles were collected. In the first quarter of the current year, over 5 billion rubles of debt were collected. A significant portion is alimony (over 1 billion rubles have already been collected), followed by fines, taxes, loan payments, housing and communal payments, and salaries.

      — Is the amount of collected debts increasing and what is it related to?

      Yes, the amount of collected debts is increasing every year. This is partly due to the growth of wages, as well as the optimization of the work of bailiffs: they work more thoroughly on each enforcement proceeding — checking for the presence of property, accounts, and sources of income.

      Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru

      — How many enforcement proceedings are currently in progress and how are they distributed by types of debt?

      The most significant share of debts we have in progress is credit payments. There are about 1.3 million enforcement proceedings constantly in progress. Of these:

      about 15 thousand — for alimony;

      over 60 thousand — for taxes;

      about 30 thousand — for utility debts.

      In the last 5 years, the number of unfinished enforcement proceedings for alimony has decreased from 20 to 15 thousand.

      — Are there large lots of debts? What are these lots and what is their approximate price?

      Large lots usually consist of premises, buildings, and land plots. The latest lots include objects worth about 32–45 million rubles. Cars are also put up for sale. So far, no airplanes or helicopters have been encountered.

      It is recommended to check for debts at least once a quarter

      — How can citizens check if they have debts?

      You can check for debts:

      On the website of the Federal Bailiff Service of Russia or on the website of the Main Department of the Federal Bailiff Service for the Republic of Tatarstan — through the database of enforcement proceedings (you need to enter your full name);

      In your personal account on the Unified State Services Portal: if you have a subscription — information about the initiation and completion of enforcement proceedings, copies of rulings are sent there.

      Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru

      The database is also useful for checking future counterparties — for example, before buying a car or an apartment.

      — How often should one check for debts?

      It is recommended to check at least once a quarter. It is especially important to do this before planning a trip abroad.

      — Is it common for a person to be unaware of their debt?

      This used to happen quite often, but after integration with the Unified State Services Portal, such cases have become rare. Typically, debtors receive several notifications about their debts:

      when attracting them to administrative responsibility (protocols are drawn up, fines are imposed);

      from utility organizations (claim work);

      from the court (notification of a hearing or a copy of the court order).

      — What should you do if you find a debt in the database?

      You need to pay the debt and notify the bailiff about it. You can pay:

      on the website of the Federal Bailiff Service of Russia (there is a "Pay" button);

      in the online application of any bank.

      — How long does it take to close the enforcement proceeding after paying the debt?

      The time depends on the method of payment:

      if you paid directly to the creditor and sent a copy of the receipt to the bailiff — 3–5 days;

      if you paid into the deposit account of the department — up to 5 days for the money to arrive through the treasury plus time for the distribution of funds and confirmation of receipt by the creditor (it can take up to 2 weeks in total).

      Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru

      The bailiff does not seize property for debts up to 3 thousand

      — At what point do restrictions (on leaving the country, on registration actions, etc.) appear?

      When the enforcement document is received by the bailiff service, requests are immediately formed to the registering authorities (traffic police, Rosreestr, banks, etc.). By the expiration of the term for voluntary execution (5 days), the bailiff receives responses and makes decisions on imposing seizures and restrictions.

      — At what amount of debt can property be seized?

      The bailiff does not seize property for debts up to 3 thousand rubles, but can impose a ban on registration actions (for real estate and vehicles). For debts over 3 thousand rubles, the bailiff has the right to impose a seizure.

      — Can an apartment be seized due to fines?

      Theoretically, yes, but in practice, no one will seize an apartment worth a million rubles for a small debt (for example, 5 thousand rubles). However, if the debtor has a car worth 100 thousand rubles and fines of 50 thousand rubles, the bailiffs have the right to seize and confiscate the car, placing it in a penalty parking lot. After the debt is settled, the car will be returned to the owner.

      Artem Dergunov / realnoevremya.ru

      — What types of restrictions can be imposed on the debtor's property?

      A ban on registration actions — the citizen can own the property but cannot dispose of it (sell, gift, etc.).

      Seizure of property — includes a ban on registration actions and the preparation of an inventory act with the participation of witnesses. The property (household items, vehicles, real estate) is assessed and may be put up for sale.

      Cameras along the road read license plates and show online which car is subject to enforcement

      — How are raids conducted to collect traffic fines?

      Raids are conducted weekly according to a plan agreed with the traffic police. The hardware and software complex "Road Bailiff" is used: it uploads the database of bailiffs with license plates related to enforcement proceedings. Cameras along the road read the numbers and show online which car is subject to enforcement and what the debt amount is. This allows for targeted work — stopping only the necessary cars.

      — Does the collection of fines directly on the road affect drivers' behavior in the future?

      Yes, it does. Analysis has shown that if a driver with more than 10 traffic fines is stopped and fined, within six months, they typically do not accumulate that number of fines again (this applies to about 80–90% of drivers).

      Maxim Platonov / realnoevremya.ru

      — How is the work of bailiffs organized with different categories of enforcement proceedings?

      The work is structured and specialized. For example: more than 50 bailiffs across the republic deal only with alimony collection, and there is a department in Kazan for electronic enforcement, which processes traffic fines and other authorized bodies electronically. Different algorithms for enforcement are applied for different categories of debts (housing payments, loans, etc.).

      Bailiffs do not chase every debtor — they optimize the workload and choose the most effective collection measures depending on the amount of debt, the debtor's financial situation, and other factors.

      Pets are not seized anymore

      — Tell us how the sale of seized property — cars, apartments, etc. — takes place? And is it true that pets could once be seized?

      Pets are not seized anymore — the law has changed. Any property that is seized by the bailiff (or confiscated — according to a court decision) is processed through a list of documents — an arrest act with notes on seizure or transfer for storage (to the debtor, a third party, the creditor). Measures are then taken for assessment, and a package of documents is formed for the transfer of property for sale — it is sent to the apparatus of the Main Department of the Federal Bailiff Service of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan. There, the department for organizing the sale of debtors' property and their search checks the completeness and legal correctness of the documents. After that, the papers go to Rosimushchestvo — it organizes the auctions. Our task is to identify, seize, prepare documents, and transfer for sale.

      — How long does seized property (apartment, car) remain in the status of seized before being transferred for sale?

      From the date of the arrest act, 10 days are given for appeal. If the debtor does not appeal, measures for assessment are taken. In certain cases, the bailiff can conduct the assessment themselves — they issue a ruling, send it to the debtor and the creditor. Another 10 days are given for appealing the assessment. Then a request for sale is formed, and the property is transferred for auction. In general, excluding court disputes, the process can take a month to a month and a half. But if someone (for example, a third party) wants to exclude the property from seizure or the debtor disputes the arrest act, the timelines are extended — it is necessary to wait for a court decision.

      Realnoe Vremya / realno