Hannahs: what a letter means and what to do

Hannahs is a small firm, and most people only come across it when a letter or a sheriff officer arrives. The letter matters because sheriff officers act on court orders, but you still have time and options, especially in the 14 days after a charge for payment. This page covers Scotland only.

Who are Hannahs?

Hannahs is a member firm of the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers (SMASO). SMASO lists one office, in Glasgow, and three sheriff officers at the firm: Colin Miller, Gary Stewart and Paul McAndrew. Every sheriff officer in Scotland must be a SMASO member.

Hannahs describes itself as a family-run business with its head office in Glasgow city centre, and says its officers work in all of Scotland’s sheriffdoms.

Is Hannahs on Companies House?

We found no company or LLP called Hannahs that the register clearly ties to the firm. Companies House does list a Scottish limited partnership called HANNAH’S L.P. (SL035617), registered in Glasgow on 11 March 2022, whose person with significant control has the same name as one of the officers SMASO lists at Hannahs. The register does not say whether that partnership is the sheriff officer firm. Ordinary partnerships and sole traders do not have to register at Companies House at all.

Is Hannahs connected to Thomas Hannah & Co?

Not as far as the records show. Thomas Hannah & Co is a separate SMASO member firm in Edinburgh with different officers. Its LLP’s members do not include anyone listed at Hannahs, and it describes itself as independently owned. The similar names are the only overlap we found.

Why are Hannahs contacting you?

Hannahs lists three kinds of work: serving court papers, diligence, and tracing. Its diligence work includes charges for payment, inhibitions, bank and earnings arrestments, attachment and evictions. It also serves County Court Judgments from England and Wales, and does repossessions.

So a letter or visit from Hannahs will usually be one of these:

• Court papers, such as a summons or a simple procedure claim. This is not enforcement yet. Respond by the date on the form and get advice.
• A charge for payment after a creditor has a decree or a summary warrant. It gives you 14 days to pay if you are in the UK.
• Notice of an arrestment of your wages or bank account.
• Eviction papers for a landlord who has an eviction order.
• A tracing enquiry, to confirm your address for a creditor.

A summary warrant is most often for council tax. It is granted without a court hearing and adds a 10% surcharge to the arrears. Council tax is a priority debt, so deal with it first.

What can Hannahs do, and what can they not do?

Sheriff officers need a decree or summary warrant before they can enforce anything. Our guide to what sheriff officers can do in Scotland explains each step. In short:

• Earnings arrestment: your employer deducts money each payday at rates fixed by statutory tables, not by the firm.
• Bank arrestment: money above £1,000 can be frozen, and is released to the creditor 14 weeks later unless something stops it.
• Attachment: items outside your home, such as a car, can be attached, but a vehicle you reasonably need worth up to £1,000 is protected. Goods inside your home need an exceptional attachment order from the sheriff.
• Fees: set by the Court of Session, not the firm. A new fee scale applies to work done from 25 September 2026.

They cannot enforce a debt without the court document behind it, and they cannot change the statutory arrestment rates.

What should you do now?

1. Read the paperwork and work out the stage: court papers, a charge for payment or an arrestment. Note the dates.
2. Check the debt is yours: your name, the creditor, the amount and, for council tax, the years covered. Ask the creditor for a breakdown if anything looks wrong.
3. Contact Hannahs or the creditor, using the details on your paperwork, with an offer you can keep up.
4. If you have a charge for payment, act within the 14 days. For most debts under £25,000 you can ask the sheriff court for a time to pay order.
5. Get free money advice. MoneyHelper, StepChange, Citizens Advice Scotland and National Debtline all help people in Scotland: see where to get free debt advice. An adviser can apply for a 6-month moratorium that stops new diligence.
6. If you have several debts, look at debt solutions in Scotland, such as the Debt Arrangement Scheme. IVAs are not available in Scotland.

How do you complain about Hannahs?

1. Complain to Hannahs first, in writing, using the details on your paperwork.
2. Complain to the creditor that instructed them. For a council, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is the last stage.
3. Complain in writing to SMASO. It has no disciplinary powers, but can pass a serious complaint to the judge responsible, with your permission.
4. Complain to the sheriff principal through your local sheriff court.

For your rights when a firm is only collecting a debt, see dealing with debt collectors.

Is the letter really from Hannahs?

Check that the firm and the officer named on your paperwork appear in the SMASO member directory. Use contact details from your paperwork or the creditor’s official website, not from a search result or an unexpected message. This page deliberately does not list the firm’s contact details.