John Campbell: what a letter means and what to do

John Campbell is a long-established Lanarkshire firm that works across Scotland, so a letter from them could relate to a debt anywhere in the country. The key question is what document you have: court papers, a charge for payment, or notice of an arrestment. This page covers Scotland only.

Who are John Campbell?

The firm is a member of the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers (SMASO). SMASO lists one office, in Hamilton, and two officers: John Campbell, a messenger-at-arms and sheriff officer, and Mark Finnigan, a sheriff officer.

The firm’s website said it was established in April 1991 with its headquarters in Hamilton, that John Campbell is a past President of SMASO, and that John Campbell is a trading name of 1063 LLP, number SO307056.

Companies House lists 1063 LLP as an active limited liability partnership, registered on 13 October 2020, with its registered office in Hamilton. Its two designated members are John Campbell and Martha Mathilda Campbell.

Why Companies House shows dissolved John Campbell LLPs

Three earlier LLPs used the name: John Campbell LLP (SO300137) and John Campbell Sheriff Officers LLP (SO304121), both dissolved on 19 May 2018, and JC 1991 LLP (SO305238), dissolved on 3 October 2019. Those entries do not mean the current firm has closed.

Why are John Campbell contacting you?

The firm’s website listed serving court papers in Scotland and elsewhere, financial recovery, pre-sue reports, tracing, fines collection, and revenues and tax collection among its services, across all six sheriffdoms.

Your letter is likely to be one of these:

• Court papers, such as a summons or simple procedure claim form. This is not enforcement. Respond by the date given.
• A charge for payment, a formal demand served after a creditor gets a decree or a summary warrant. You have 14 days to pay if you are in the UK.
• A summary warrant notice for council tax or another local tax. It is granted without a court hearing and adds a 10% surcharge.
• Notice of an arrestment of your wages or bank account.
• A tracing enquiry to confirm where you live or work.

What can John Campbell do, and what can they not do?

Sheriff officers cannot enforce a debt without a decree, summary warrant or similar warrant behind it. Once they have one, they use diligence, which our guide to what sheriff officers can do in Scotland explains in full. The main points:

• Earnings arrestment: your employer deducts money each payday using statutory tables. It is Scotland’s version of an attachment of earnings order.
• Bank arrestment: the first £1,000 is protected, and frozen money goes to the creditor after 14 weeks unless something stops it.
• Attachment: some items outside your home can be attached, but not a vehicle you reasonably need worth up to £1,000. Goods inside your home need a separate order from the sheriff.
• Fees: fixed by the Court of Session, with a new fee scale for work done from 25 September 2026.

What should you do now?

1. Find out the stage from the paperwork and note the dates.
2. Check the debt: your name, the creditor, the amount and what it covers. Ask the creditor for a breakdown if you are unsure.
3. Contact John Campbell or the creditor, using the details on your paperwork, with an affordable offer. Keep copies.
4. If you have been charged, 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 from MoneyHelper, StepChange, Citizens Advice Scotland or National Debtline: see where to get free debt advice. An adviser can apply for a 6-month moratorium on diligence.
6. For wider debt problems, compare debt solutions in Scotland. A Debt Payment Programme stops diligence for the debts in it once approved.

How do you complain about John Campbell?

1. Complain to the firm first, in writing.
2. Complain to the creditor or council that instructed it. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is the final stage for council complaints.
3. Complain in writing to SMASO. It has no disciplinary powers, but can refer a serious complaint to the judge responsible.
4. Complain to the sheriff principal through your local sheriff court.

For your rights with debt collectors generally, see dealing with debt collectors.

Is the letter really from John Campbell?

Check the firm and the officer’s name in the SMASO member directory. Use contact details from your paperwork or the creditor’s official website rather than a search result, and be wary of pressure to pay at once into an unfamiliar account. This page does not list the firm’s contact details.