How to stop Walker Love Council Tax debt recovery in Scotland
Wage Arrestment Expert can help you stop Walker Love sheriff action for council tax arrears, business rates, benefit overpayments and any other debt that you may have.
Walker Love is a firm of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers working across the six Sheriffdoms of Scotland, and across Europe. Sheriff Officers in Scotland have a similar role to bailiffs in England, in enforcing payment of unpaid debts, however Walker Love Sheriff Officers are officers of the court, and have powers to enforce court orders and civil warrants.
Walker Love Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers are instructed by Scottish local authorities, as well as private companies and landlords to collect unpaid Council Tax, Business Rates, Benefits overpayments or other private or consumer debts.
If you owe Council Tax or Business Rates, your local authority can apply to the Sheriff Court for a summary warrant, a court order that details the amount of money you owe and legally obliges you to pay it.
It can be quite worrying to receive such a court order, which if ignored can make the matter even worse. If you have received a summary warrant from Walker Love Sheriff Officers, there are steps you can take to avoid further action being taken. Wage Arrestment Expert offers free help and advice to people who are in debt and facing Walker Love Sheriff Officer action. Wage Arrestment Expert can give you advice and help with things such as working out affordable payment plans with Scottish local authorities and stop Sheriff Officers from Walker Love taking further action.
We can be contacted through the email form on this website, or by phone on 0141 255 2104
We can help Get in touch today
APPLY FOR HELPHow does Wage Arrestment Expert help me deal with Walker Love?
- We will contact Walker Love on your behalf
- Request a temporary hold on sheriff action for up to 28 days
- Mediate and negotiate with the local authority and sheriff officers
- Arrange an affordable and sustainable repayment plan for you
- Our services are FREE of charge
Who are Walker Love Sheriff Officers?
Walker Love is a family-run firm, employing 35 Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers who carry out debt recovery services throughout Scotland and Europe. Walker Love have 10 offices in Scotland, and work with Scottish local and national government, financial services, social and private landlords and utility companies to enforce payment of unpaid debts. They pride themselves on their local and community knowledge and are committed to working fairly and ethically with the organisations that employ them as well as people who owe money. Having issues with Walker Love sheriff officers? Call Wage Arrestment Expert today on 0141 255 2104
Walker Love is accredited by the Collector Accreditation Initiative (CAI), the Credit Services Association (CSA), Investors in People, and Connexx.
Walker Love Council Tax Collection
If you or anyone else in your household is behind in paying the Council Tax bill, your local council will send you, and any other individual responsible for paying Council Tax, a reminder to pay the overdue bill. When you receive a reminder for unpaid Council Tax, you will have seven days within which you can arrange to pay the amount in instalments. If you don’t arrange a repayment plan within seven days you will be sent another reminder and you will be given 14 days to pay. However, you will have to pay the amount in full, as there will no longer be the option to pay in instalments at this stage.
If you have still not paid your Council Tax after receiving two reminders, the council have a right to apply to the Sheriff Court for a summary warrant in order to get you to pay. Once the summary warrant is granted, your local council will send your details and information about the amount of Council Tax you owe to Walker Love, who will send you the summary warrant enforcing payment. The summary warrant should detail the amount owed and explain whom you should contact to make the payment. Please also be aware that in addition to the amount of Council Tax you owe, you will also have to pay an extra 10% penalty charge for the summary warrant.
APPLY FOR HELP“Wage arrestment expert were able to help me put my debt worries to bed and start living my life again”
Damien Gregg
How Walker Love use Diligence and Charge for Payment
If you have received a summary warrant to pay your Council Tax, it is advised that you urgently contact Walker Love to make an arrangement to pay. If you do not act quickly at this stage, your local council can go further and obtain what is called a charge for payment. If Walker Love sends you a charge for payment, you will be given a grace period of 14 days within which you should contact Walker Love, or your local council to arrange a payment.
If after receiving a charge for payment you have still not paid, the council have a right to use diligence, which means they give Walker Love Sheriff Officers enforcement powers to collect the money from you in other ways, such as taking the money directly out of your pay or bank account.
In extreme cases, where the debt cannot be collected by other means, the council may apply to the Sheriff Court for an Exceptional Attachment Order, and you could be prohibited from selling your house, land, or business premises. Walker Love Sheriff Officers could even be allowed to remove some of your possessions to sell on in order to cover the cost of your unpaid debt.
There are several different types of diligence that Walker Love Sheriff Officers can use to enforce payment, these include:
Bank arrestment, or taking money from your bank account Earnings arrestment, taking money from your pay packetAttachment of property outside your home, taking items you own from outside your home, and selling them Exceptional Attachment Order, bankruptcy, preventing you from selling your house, property or business
Ways to avoid Diligence by Walker Love
The best way to avoid these types of diligence is to contact Walker Love or your local council to talk about ways of paying your bill. Some of the options available are explained below.
Apply for a time to pay order
One of the ways you can avoid Walker Love Sheriff Officers using diligence by either taking money from your wages or bank account, making you bankrupt or taking your belongings, is by applying to the court for a time to pay order. If you have already received a charge for payment, this will allow you time to pay off the amount you owe in affordable monthly amounts.
Apply for a Debt Arrangement Scheme
Another way that you can avoid diligence being used by Walker Love, is by applying for a debt payment programme to pay your unpaid Council Tax. If you agree to make regular payments to pay off the Council Tax arrears, and stick to the agreement, the council will no longer be able to use diligence to take money from your wages or bank account, or have your property removed by Walker Love.
The other advantage to joining a debt arrangement scheme is that any interest, fees and charges on your debt will be frozen for as long as you continue to stick with the repayment plan. If you would like more information about the Debt Arrangement Scheme, Wage Arrestment Expert would be happy to help. Contact us on 0141 255 2104 or use the contact form on this website to request a call-back.
What happens if Walker Love enforce an earnings arrestment?
Walker Love Sheriff Officers can make an earnings arrestment if you have not paid your debt in full, or applied for a time to pay order or debt payment programme. This means that Walker Love will be able to withdraw the amount you owe directly from your earnings after you have paid tax. They can continue to deduct money from your wages until the full outstanding amount has been covered. In addition, you will also be charged a fee by Walker Love, which will also be deducted from your wages.
Within the twelve weeks before serving you with an earnings arrestment, your local council or Walker Love Sheriffs must send you a debt advice information pack, which you should read carefully. The advice in the pack will tell you how to avoid having money taken out of your earnings, for example, if you apply for a time to pay order and it is granted, it will prevent an earnings arrestment.
What happens if Walker Love enforce a Bank arrestment?
Another type of diligence that Walker Love can use if you don’t arrange to pay your Council Tax is a bank arrestment. By law, Walker Love will have the right to freeze the money in your bank account at that time so that you cannot have access to it. The money in the account at the time of the arrestment will remain locked until you give permission to release an amount of money towards paying your Council Tax arrears. In addition to any arrears, an amount to cover Walker Love’s administration fee will also be taken from your bank account.
If after 14 weeks of your bank account being frozen, you have not given permission to release the money you owe, the bank will be ordered to release the money. You will not have any access to the account and any standing orders or direct debits will also be stopped. Please be aware that any account that is in your name is liable to a bank arrestment, even joint bank accounts.
Only the money that was in your bank account on the day of the bank arrestment by Walker Love will be frozen. You may not receive any notice of a bank arrestment, which could leave you without access to cash, and unable to pay your bills. If you find that the money in your account cannot be accessed because of a bank arrestment, then you should urgently contact Walker Love to arrange a mandate to release some money towards paying your Council Tax arrears. You will also need to arrange a standing order to pay off any remaining debt that you owe. You may also still be able to apply for a time to pay order or debt payment programme. Wage Arrestment Expert are able to advise on what options are available to you. Request a call-back by completing the form above or call 0141 255 2104 today to speak to one of our specialist advisors.
Walker Love and attachement of property outside my home
An attachment of property outside the home, or attachment of goods is enforcement action taken by Walker Love if, after receiving two reminders about unpaid Council Tax, you have still not paid or applied for a time to pay order or debt repayment programme. Walker Love will have rights to seize and sell off any of your personal possessions that they find outside of your home. Walker Love’s administration fees will also apply for carrying out the attachment of property or goods.
Walker Love will send you a debt information and advice pack within 12 weeks before being instructed by the council to serve you with an attachment of goods. You should follow the advice in the pack in order to avoid any of your belongings being taken away by Walker Love Sheriff Officers. An attachment of property outside the home, or attachment of goods can be delivered by Walker Love on the same day as they carry out the seizure of your property.
Walker Love will have the right to enter any buildings outside of your home, such as outbuildings, garages, or business premises, even if they are locked. However, they do not have the right to enter your home to take anything away without a special type of order called an Exceptional Attachment Order.
The following is exempt from attachment:
Tools, books and equipment up to a value of £1,000 necessary for your trade or business Vehicles up to the value of £3,000 that are necessary for your trade or business Mobile home if it is the main place where you live When Walker Love has finished carrying out an attachment of goods, they must give you a list of everything that they have seized, along with a valuation of each item. The items can be taken away and put up for sale after seven days to raise money to cover the debt you owe. If the full amount you owe is not covered by the amount earned from the sale of goods seized, you will still owe the rest. Before Walker Love sell the items to someone else, you, or a friend or relative will have the right to buy the items back at the amount Walker Love valued them at, within 14 days of the attachment being made.
If you think that Walker Love have not complied with the law by removing items that are exempt from being attached, or if they have taken items that don’t actually belong to you, you are allowed to apply to the court to challenge it.
Can Walker Love sheriff offices gain entry to my home?
In rare circumstances only, will Walker Love Sheriff Officers be allowed to gain entry to your home. If in the extreme case that an Exceptional Attachment Order has been granted by the court, Walker Love Sheriff Officers will be allowed to enter your home between the hours of 8am and 8pm, every day except Sunday. If a Walker Love Sheriff Officer serves you with an Exceptional Attachment Order, you should confirm the Sheriff Officer’s identity, and check the validity of the court document they serve you with. The court document should state ‘grants warrant for all lawful execution’. Only in this case will the Walker Love Sheriff Officer have the right to gain entry to your home. If you are in this situation and are unsure about anything, we advise you to urgently call Wage Arrestment Expert on 0141 255 2104
If a Walker Love Sheriff Officer produces the correct identification and documentation from the court allowing them to enter your home, and you do not let them in, they will be allowed to use ‘necessary reasonable force’ to get into your home. Necessary reasonable force can include breaking a lock or window, or forcing a door. If you do not allow a Sheriff Officer from Walker Love with a valid Exceptional Attachment Order to enter your home, you may also be charged with obstructing an officer of the court, or breach of the peace.
If a Sheriff Officer from Walker Love has to forcibly enter your home by breaking a lock or a window, the local council will be responsible for paying for the repairs. Sometimes, though, this might be included in the fee that Walker Love charge for administering the Exceptional Attachment Order and the charge will be passed on to you.
By law, Walker Love Sheriff Officers will only be able to enter your home under an Exceptional Attachment Order if there is someone at home who is 16 years or older, and who is able to understand what is happening. They will not be able to enter if the only person at home is a child under 16 years old, or they do not understand English, or have a physical, mental or learning disability.
The following items are exempt from being seized under an Exceptional Attachment Order:
clothing bedding basic furniture refrigerator cooking appliances and utensils In some cases, however, a Walker Love Sheriff Officer could decide that you do not have a reasonable need for an item and they can choose to include it in the attachment.
If you have been served with an Exceptional Attachment Order by Walker Love, call us on 0141 255 2104 for further help and advice.
What fees can Walker Love Charge me?
Wage Arrestment Expert can help you Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Pellentesque bibendum non arcu nec pharetra. Quisque suscipit condimentum venenatis. Aliquam laoreet, turpis vel blandit luctus, felis enim efficitur nisl, quis sagittis sem neque id felis. Fusce tempus tellus vitae mauris mollis sodales.
Attachment of vehicles and heavy machinery
Attachment of earnings or bank account
Taking possession of belonging
Walker Love may also charge for other administrative tasks such as making copies of documents. If you would like some more information about the fees that Walker Love charge contact Wage Arrestment Expert by calling 0141 255 2104 or complete the online form to request a call-back.
How to make a complaint about Walker Love Sheriff Officers
If you would like to make a complaint about Walker Love Sheriff Officers because you think that they have not acted reasonably or within the law, you should contact Walker Love directly to ask them to explain their actions. You should write to: The Compliance Manager, Walker Love, 16 Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow, G1 3AB, or send an email to complaints@walkerlove.com
If you have not received a satisfactory explanation form Walker Love, then you should contact the Sheriff Principal at your local sheriff court, or contact the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers:
Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers 8-12 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh EH3 8JQ
Telephone: 0131 228 2866 Email: admin@smaso.ednet.co.uk Website: www.smaso.org
Walker Love and Business Rates Collection
As with unpaid Council Tax, if you do not pay your Business Rates, the local authority can apply for a summary warrant from the Sheriff Court and grant Walker Love enforcement powers to collect unpaid Business Rates from you. Walker Love will have the same rights and be able to follow the same steps as described above for collecting unpaid Council Tax. You will also be given the same rights to apply for a time to pay order or arrange a debt repayment programme in order to avoid further diligence. However, if the council has applied to make you bankrupt, it will be too late to apply for a time to pay order.
If your Business Rates arrears are more than £3,000, and Walker Love have not been able to collect the debt by other means, they can use diligence to make you bankrupt. Declaring bankruptcy can have positive and negative effects. However, it is not a matter to be taken lightly as it could put your home, assets and employment at risk. Contact Wage Arrestment Expert for further information on unpaid Business Rates and bankruptcy. Complete the call-request form above or call today on 0141 255 2104
Walker Love and Benefit Overpayments Collection
If you have been overpaid Benefits, the council will advise you of the overpayment and ask you to pay the money back. As described above, with other debts such as unpaid Council Tax and Business Rates, the council have the right to apply to the Sheriff Court for a summary warrant giving Walker Love the powers to arrange the debt repayment with you. If you have been overpaid Benefits and have not paid back what the council has asked for, and are facing further action from Walker Love, contact Wage Arrestment Expert on 0141 255 2104 to speak to one of our expert advisors, alternatively, you can complete the call request form above.
Walker Love Private and Consumer Debt Collection
Walker Love also work with private companies and landlords to collect private financial and consumer debt such as bank charges, credit card payments, loans, rent etc. on their behalf. They have the same enforcement powers as detailed above for Council Tax collection but there may be some slight differences, if you have been contacted by Walker Love to collect a private, financial or consumer debt, call us today on 0141 255 2104. Our specialist advisors provide expert help and are able to discuss a number of solutions available to you.
Are you facing a bank arrestment or earnings arrestment, or have one in place already? We may be able to look into a number of solutions available to stop this from taking place or remove it if it’s already in place.
How to contact Walker Love Sheriff Officers
If you would like to contact Walker Love directly, here are their details:
Address: 16 Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow, G1 3AB Telephone: 0844 335 0621 Email: corrdept@walkerlove.comwww.walkerlove.com