Miller McKenna: what a letter means and what to do

Miller McKenna publishes very little about itself, so this page sets out what the public records show and what a sheriff officer letter usually means for someone in Glasgow or elsewhere in Scotland. The document you have will tell you the stage and the deadline. This page covers Scotland only.

Who are Miller McKenna?

Miller McKenna is a member firm of the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers (SMASO). SMASO lists one office, in Glasgow, and one officer, Paul Miller, a messenger-at-arms and sheriff officer. Every sheriff officer in Scotland must be a SMASO member. The web address SMASO gives for the firm is a listing on a business directory site rather than the firm’s own website.

We found no Companies House entry for the firm. Ordinary partnerships and sole practices do not have to register there. A company incorporated in 2007 as Miller McKenna & Company Ltd changed its name in 2008 and was dissolved in 2022; its records do not link it to this firm.

Why are Miller McKenna 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.

Because its officer is also a messenger-at-arms, the firm can carry out orders of the Court of Session as well as the sheriff court. The paperwork should name the creditor. Contact them as well as the firm.

What can Miller McKenna do, and what can they not do?

Officers of court need a decree, summary warrant or similar warrant before they can enforce a debt. Our guide to what sheriff officers can do in Scotland explains each step. In short:

• An earnings arrestment takes amounts set by statutory tables from your wages.
• The first £1,000 in a bank account is protected, and arrested money goes to the creditor after 14 weeks unless something stops it.
• A vehicle you reasonably need worth up to £1,000 is protected from attachment, and goods inside your home need an exceptional attachment order from the sheriff.
• Fees are 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 Miller McKenna 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 Miller McKenna?

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 a messenger-at-arms, conduct is investigated by a Court of Session judge.

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

Is the letter really from Miller McKenna?

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