McEwan Hogg: what a letter means and what to do

McEwan Hogg is a new partnership of two officers, and it works in places where few sheriff officer firms are based, including the islands. A letter from them can mean anything from court papers to an arrestment, and the document tells you the deadline. This page covers Scotland only.

Who are McEwan Hogg?

Companies House lists MCEWAN HOGG SHERIFF OFFICERS LLP, number SO308367, as an active limited liability partnership registered on 24 April 2026, with its registered office in Inverness. Its two designated members are Alistair Hogg and Christopher McEwan.

It is a member firm of the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers (SMASO). SMASO lists one office, in Inverness, with Alistair Hogg as a sheriff officer and Christopher McEwan as a messenger-at-arms and sheriff officer.

The firm says it provides civil court enforcement throughout the Highlands and Islands, and works across Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides. A post on its website from December 2024 describes it as the website of Alistair Hogg Sheriff Officer, so older paperwork may carry that name.

Why are McEwan Hogg contacting you?

McEwan Hogg lists document serving, debt enforcement (earnings and bank arrestments and attachment of goods), evictions and repossessions, inhibitions, tracing, and enforcement of warrants and court orders.

So your letter or visit is likely to be one of these:

• Court papers, such as a summons or simple procedure claim. This is not enforcement. Respond by the date given.
• A charge for payment after a creditor gets a decree or summary warrant. It gives you 14 days to pay if you are in the UK. A summary warrant is usually for council tax, granted without a hearing, with a 10% surcharge.
• An arrestment of your wages or bank account.
• Eviction under an order a court or tribunal has already granted to your landlord.

What can McEwan Hogg do, and what can they not do?

Sheriff officers need a decree, summary warrant or similar warrant before they can enforce a debt. Our guide to what sheriff officers can do in Scotland sets out each step. The main points:

• Earnings arrestment: deductions follow statutory tables. It is Scotland’s equivalent of an attachment of earnings order.
• Bank arrestment: the first £1,000 is protected, and frozen money is released to the creditor after 14 weeks unless something stops it.
• Attachment: some items outside your home 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. A new fee scale applies to work done from 25 September 2026, and it allows a 33% surcharge on some items of work in areas classed as remote rural.

What should you do now?

1. Work out what you have: court papers, a charge, an arrestment or an eviction notice. Note the dates.
2. Check the debt is yours and the amount is right. Ask the creditor or council for a breakdown.
3. Contact McEwan Hogg 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, by phone or online if there is no adviser nearby. 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 on diligence.
6. For wider debt problems, compare debt solutions in Scotland, including the Debt Arrangement Scheme.

How do you complain about McEwan Hogg?

1. Complain to the firm first, in writing.
2. Complain to the creditor, council or landlord 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 more generally, see dealing with debt collectors.

Is the letter really from McEwan Hogg?

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, not from a search result or an unexpected message. This page does not list the firm’s contact details.