Gordon & Noble: what a letter means and what to do

A letter from Gordon & Noble can mean two quite different things. It may be a debt collection letter, often about a private parking charge, sent before any court action. Or it may come from its sheriff officers, enforcing a court decree. The first gives you time to check and respond; the second has strict deadlines. This page covers Scotland. For the full rules on enforcement, see what sheriff officers can do in Scotland.

Who are Gordon & Noble?

The Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers (SMASO) lists Gordon & Noble with one office, in Thornliebank, Glasgow, and one officer, Mark Fishman, who is a messenger-at-arms and sheriff officer.

A company called GORDON & NOBLE LIMITED (company number SC707930) is registered at the same Glasgow address. It is an active private limited company, incorporated on 27 August 2021, and its two directors each hold between 25% and 50% of the shares; one is the officer SMASO lists. An earlier company with the same name (SC309223) was dissolved on 27 October 2015.

Gordon & Noble describes itself as a debt recovery and enforcement firm offering collection, tracing, court action and enforcement across the UK, working with partner solicitors and High Court enforcement officers outside Scotland. The FCA register lists Mark Fishman, trading as Gordon & Noble (firm reference number 708611), as no longer authorised.

Why are Gordon & Noble contacting you?

• A private parking charge. Gordon & Noble says it collects unpaid parking charges for private car park operators, including some of the largest in the UK. It says its letter is the final notice before a solicitor raises a simple procedure or ordinary cause action in the sheriff court, and that court costs and interest would then be added.
• A council traffic penalty from elsewhere in the UK. It says it pursues traffic contravention penalties for councils and other bodies against motorists who live in Scotland, through the sheriff courts.
• Another debt, for a business or organisation, either before court or after a decree or county court judgment has been obtained.
• Sheriff officer papers: court documents, or a charge for payment giving you 14 days to pay a decree.

What can Gordon & Noble do, and what can they not do?

Before a court decree, Gordon & Noble is acting as a debt collector. It can write, call and start court action through a solicitor, but it cannot arrest wages or bank accounts or take goods. Once there is a decree, sheriff officers can use diligence:

• Charge for payment: 14 days to pay if you are in the UK; stays in force for 2 years.
• Earnings arrestment: deductions from wages under statutory tables; nothing is taken from net pay of £750 a month or less.
• Bank arrestment: money above £1,000 is frozen and released to the creditor after 14 weeks unless something stops it.
• Attachment and inhibition: goods outside the home can be attached (a vehicle you reasonably need worth up to £1,000 is protected), and an inhibition stops you selling or borrowing against property.

A decree lasts 20 years.

What should you do now?

1. Work out which kind of letter it is. A collection letter or letter before action is not enforcement. Court papers and a charge for payment have fixed deadlines.
2. Check the claim. For a parking charge, check the date, location, vehicle and whether you were the driver, and ask for evidence such as photos and the signs. For other debts, ask the creditor to prove the debt.
3. Do not ignore court papers. Respond by the date on the claim form, whether you pay, offer instalments or dispute it.
4. If you have a charge, act within 14 days. For most debts under £25,000 you can ask the sheriff court for a time to pay order.
5. Get free advice. A money adviser can help with a response, apply for a 6-month moratorium on diligence, or look at wider options. See where to get free debt advice and debt solutions in Scotland.

How do you complain about Gordon & Noble?

We found no published complaints procedure on the firm’s website. Complain to Gordon & Noble first, in writing, and keep a copy. For a parking charge, you can also complain to the car park operator. For the conduct of a sheriff officer, mygov.scot lists SMASO and the sheriff principal, through your local sheriff court. Our guide to dealing with debt collectors covers your rights before any court action.

Is the letter genuine?

A genuine letter names the creditor, such as the car park operator or council, and gives a reference. Check it against your own records and contact the creditor using details from its official website, not from an unexpected text, email or call. Do not pay into an account you cannot verify.