Malcolm J Boyd: what a letter means and what to do

Malcolm J Boyd does not publish a website, so this page sets out what the public records show and what a sheriff officer letter usually means for someone in Lanarkshire or elsewhere in Scotland. The document itself will tell you the stage and the deadline. This page covers Scotland only.

Who is Malcolm J Boyd?

Malcolm J Boyd is a member firm of the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers (SMASO). SMASO lists one office, in Airdrie, and one officer, Malcolm J. Boyd, a sheriff officer. It gives no website for the firm. Every sheriff officer in Scotland must be a SMASO member.

Airdrie is in the sheriffdom of South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway. SMASO does not publish which sheriffdoms each officer is commissioned for.

We found no active Companies House entry for the firm. Ordinary partnerships and sole traders do not have to register there. Companies House does list a dissolved Malcolm Boyd LLP, registered in Cumnock and dissolved on 15 July 2025, but its two listed members are not Malcolm J Boyd, and nothing in the records links it to this firm.

Why is Malcolm J Boyd contacting you?

The firm does not publish its clients or services. Sheriff officers are instructed by creditors, councils, landlords and solicitors, so your letter will usually be one of these:

• Court papers, such as a summons or simple procedure claim. This starts a case and is not enforcement. Respond by the date on the form.
• A charge for payment after a decree or a summary warrant. It gives you 14 days to pay if you are in the UK. A summary warrant is most often for council tax, granted without a hearing, with a 10% surcharge.
• An arrestment of your wages or bank account, once a charge has expired unpaid.

The paperwork should name the creditor. Contact them as well as the firm.

What can Malcolm J Boyd do, and what can they not do?

A sheriff officer needs a decree, summary warrant or similar warrant before enforcing a debt. Our guide to what sheriff officers can do in Scotland explains each step. In short:

• Earnings arrestment: deductions follow statutory tables. It is Scotland’s version of an attachment of earnings order.
• Bank arrestment: the first £1,000 is protected, and arrested money goes to the creditor after 14 weeks unless something stops it.
• Attachment: a vehicle you reasonably need worth up to £1,000 is protected, and goods inside your home need an exceptional attachment order from the sheriff.
• Fees: set by the Court of Session, with a new fee scale for work done from 25 September 2026.

What should you do now?

1. Identify the document and note its date.
2. Check the debt is yours and the amount is right. Ask the creditor for a breakdown.
3. Contact Malcolm J Boyd or the creditor, using the details on your paperwork, with an offer you can afford.
4. If you have been charged, 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 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. If you have several debts, compare debt solutions in Scotland, including the Debt Arrangement Scheme.

How do you complain about Malcolm J Boyd?

1. Complain to the firm first, in writing.
2. Complain to the creditor that instructed it. For a council, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is the final stage.
3. Complain in writing to SMASO, which 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 more generally, see dealing with debt collectors.

Is the letter really from Malcolm J Boyd?

Check the firm and the officer’s name in the SMASO member directory. As the firm has no website, use the contact details on your paperwork, or ask the creditor to confirm it has instructed Malcolm J Boyd. Do not use a number from a search result or an unexpected message. This page does not list the firm’s contact details.