What happens if the sheriff comes to your house

A sheriff officer is someone who can come to your house or workplace to serve you court papers and carry out court orders for the sheriff court.

They can carry out court orders for:

  • eviction
  • debt
  • property arguments
  • family matters (like adoption or divorce)

They can also carry out orders to:

  • remove members of your family from your house (like an abused child or violent partner)
  • deliver a witness citation or other legal documents to you, if the court needs proof they were delivered

Checking an officer's identity

You have the right to ask for a sheriff officer's identity if they come to your home or workplace.

Every sheriff officer has a red identity booklet which contains:

  • a photograph of themselves
  • the crest of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service
  • the signature of the sheriff clerk for the area they work in

A sheriff officer must show you their identity booklet if you ask for it.

If you're still not sure they are who they say they are, you can ask for the name of the firm they work for and call them to check.

Entering your home or business

A sheriff officer has the power to enter your home or workplace to carry out their order, but only if the court gives them permission to do it.

You can ask the sheriff officer to show you the document that says they're allowed to enter.

It might not always be clear from the document that the sheriff officer has the right to enter your home. It might have a phrase like 'grants warrant for all lawful execution' on it. This means they're allowed to enter.

For evictions and debt enforcement a sheriff officer usually has to write to you in advance to tell you they are coming.

They're usually not allowed to come at night. This is unless they have a warrant that lets them enter if someone is in danger or a child has to be removed for their protection.

Forcing entry

If a sheriff officer has permission from the court to enter your home or workplace but you do not let them in, they're allowed to use 'necessary reasonable force' to get in.

This means they're allowed to get in by:

  • forcing open a door
  • breaking a lock
  • breaking a window

If you try to stop the officer entering your house or workplace, you could be charged with breach of the peace.

If nobody's in

If you're not at home or your workplace when a sheriff officer visits, they can only force entry if they're:

  • carrying out an eviction
  • making sure certain work has been carried out
  • getting back property

Exceptional attachment

If you owe a debt, the court may decide that some of your belongings may be taken and sold to help pay it.

When this happens, the sheriff officer might be given 'exceptional attachment', This means they have permission to enter your home or workplace and take some of your possessions.

Sheriff officers can only take non-essential items. This means they cannot take possessions that are seen as essential for everyday life. For example, clothing, beds, sofas, computers and cookers. These are listed in Schedule 2 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002

A sheriff officer has to tell you in advance if they're coming to take possessions with exceptional attachment.

Although they can force entry into your home or workplace, they cannot take anything if nobody is in the property.

They also cannot take anything if there's someone in the property but they:

  • are under 16 years old
  • cannot speak or understand English
  • do not understand the situation because of physical or mental disability

Eviction

If the court orders you to be evicted, a sheriff officer can be sent to your home to evict you.

The sheriff officer must officially give you advance notice that they're coming to your home to evict you. You should get at least 2 weeks' notice.

If the sheriff officer comes to your home to evict you and you refuse to leave, they have permission to physically remove you from your home.

If you struggle with the sheriff officer or try to stop them evicting you in some way, you could be charged for breach of the peace.

A sheriff officer may bring the police with them when they come to evict you. The police cannot help the sheriff officer carry out the eviction. But they can arrest you if you break the law. For example, by causing a breach of the peace or attacking the sheriff officer.

Complaining about a sheriff officer

If you think a sheriff officer behaved in an unreasonable way or did things they did not have the power to do, you should first write to the officer or the firm that employs them and ask for an explanation.

If you're unhappy with the reply (or you don't want to complain directly to the officer) you can make a written complaint to the Sheriff Principal. They can arrange to carry out an investigation.

You can contact the Sheriff Principal through the sheriff clerk at your local sheriff court.

You can also complain to the Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers, which covers the whole of Scotland. Its address is:

Society of Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers Forth House 28 Rutland Square

Edinburgh

George Simons | October 19, 2022

You can win your case if you make the right defense.

If you have had a sheriff come to your house with legal documents, it usually means that your landlord is trying to evict you. Below is more information about how to deal with this issue.

When a landlord prevails in an eviction, the judge signs an order that lets the sheriff ensure that you leave the property. You also are required to remove all of your possessions from the house. There will be a deadline in the paperwork that states when you have to move and when all your possessions must be out.

After the sheriff posts a Writ of Resolution on the property, you usually need to have three days to move out, but this can vary by state. Sometimes, you could have more than three days but it rarely is more than a week or 10 days. The writ should state the exact deadline, which ends at 11:59 pm that day. However, you won't usually see the sheriff evicting you in the middle of the night.

File a response to a debt collection lawsuit in 15 minutes with SoloSuit.

Can you stop the sheriff from evicting you?

Legal options in this situation depend on where the eviction lawsuit is. Some of these options are tough without an attorney, so it's recommended to get legal help when you can. If you had an eviction hearing that went against you, the sheriff probably brought the legal documents or posted them on the property because you lost. You may wonder if you can appeal this ruling and stop the eviction.

Whether you can or not depends on what occurred at the hearing. It also matters if you were evicted because you owe money or another reason. If you have been evicted because you owe the landlord money, you might be able to reinstate your lease and stay in the home if you can pay back what you owe. Usually, you'll need to do a motion to reinstate with this court to stay in the property.

Also, you may be able to get another motion and ask for payments so you can pay it back over a few months. Some of this is hard to do on your own, but you can usually find an attorney to do it for a reasonable fee.

If you're able to pay off what you owe at once, you may want the judge to reinstate your lease. So, you'll need to get the money to pay what you owe to the landlord. This may include back rent, late fees, court costs, and possibly attorney's fees.

If you have all the money that is in the judgment, you should talk to the landlord and say that you want to reinstate your lease. After you have paid back your landlord you should file the motion to reinstate at the local courthouse. Ask the clerk to set up a hearing about this motion.

If you go to this hearing and the judge approves your motion, you can stop the sheriff from coming to your house to evict you. But you have to make sure that you pay rent on time each month, or you may have paid everything back plus fees for nothing.

Make the right defense the right way with SoloSuit.

Other options you have to stop eviction

If you are being evicted because you owe rent and you can get caught up in three months, you may want to ask for a payment plan. This is usually called a Motion to Stay The Writ Of Restitution and For a Payment Plan. If you want to qualify for a payment plan, you'll need to explain to the judge why you fell behind. Some things that you may need to discuss with the judge include:

  • Why you couldn't pay rent on time
  • Why you couldn't pay the installments
  • How soon you can pay back what you owe
  • What payment plan may work best for you
  • Whether you couldn't pay rent before
  • Whether you are an otherwise good tenant or cause other problems
  • How difficult things will be if you're evicted; whether you have dependent children may be considered

Also, the judge could ask about how much money you make, what you have in the bank, and other things of interest about your life. You may need to pay over three months, and he or she will set a tough schedule on when payments are due.

Use SoloSuit to respond to debt collectors and win in court.

What to do if you're evicted for other lease violations

If you are being evicted because you didn't follow other lease rules or you overstayed, you cannot reinstate the least.

Also, note there are times when you went to a hearing but you may feel as if you didn't get enough time to explain everything. Or you didn't have all the evidence that you needed at the time. Some tenants want to appeal the case and have a new hearing to avoid having the sheriff evict them.

You can ask for a new hearing in most states, but these motions aren't usually granted. It also can be tough to do this without legal representation. And just because you file the motion doesn't mean it will stop the sheriff from evicting you.

Note that the judge could decide that you're just filing the motions to delay the eviction. If that happens, you'll probably lose the case and you'll owe more money. And the sheriff will still enforce the eviction. So it's wise to be careful with this option.

If you didn't attend the eviction hearing because you didn't know there was a lawsuit, you may be able to file a request with the court called a motion to stay and vacate. This is an option for people who have a good reason that they didn't go to the hearing. You also need to have a good defense for the lawsuit. If you don't have a defense outside of you can't afford to pay, it may not be a smart option. You could wind up owing more money that you cannot afford.

If you are not going back to court but need additional time to move, you still can talk to your landlord to give you more time, even if the sheriff has posted a notice to vacate.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to respond to a debt collection lawsuit.

How it works: SoloSuit is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your answer. Upon completion, you can either print the completed forms and mail in the hard copies to the courts or you can pay SoloSuit to file it for you and to have an attorney review the document.

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit: A Student Solution To Give Utah Debtors A Fighting Chance

How to answer a summons for debt collection in your state

Here's a list of guides for other states.

All 50 states.

Guides on how to beat every debt collector

Being sued by a different debt collector? We're making guides on how to beat each one.

Win against credit card companies

Is your credit card company suing you? Learn how you can beat each one.

Going to Court for Credit Card Debt — Key Tips

How to Negotiate Credit Card Debts

How to Settle a Credit Card Debt Lawsuit — Ultimate Guide

Get answers to these FAQs

Need more info on statutes of limitations? Read our 50-state guide.

Why do debt collectors block their phone numbers?

How long do debt collectors take to respond to debt validation letters?

What are the biggest debt collector companies in the US?

Is Zombie Debt Still a Problem in 2019?

SoloSuit FAQ

If a car is repossessed, do I still owe the debt?

Is Portfolio Recovery Associates Legit?

Is There a Judgment Against Me Without my Knowledge?

Should I File Bankruptcy Before or After a Judgment?

What is a default judgment?— What do I do?

Summoned to Court for Medical Bills — What Do I Do?

What Happens If Someone Sues You and You Have No Money?

What Happens If You Never Answer Debt Collectors?

What Happens When a Debt Is Sold to a Collection Agency

What is a Stipulated Judgment?

What is the Deadline for a Defendant's Answer to Avoid a Default Judgment?

Can a Judgement Creditor Take my Car?

Can I Settle a Debt After Being Served?

Can I Stop Wage Garnishment?

Can You Appeal a Default Judgement?

Do I Need a Debt Collection Defense Attorney?

Do I Need a Payday Loans Lawyer?

Do student loans go away after 7 years? — Student Loan Debt Guide

Am I Responsible for My Spouse's Medical Debt?

Should I Marry Someone With Debt?

Can a Debt Collector Leave a Voicemail?

How Does Debt Assignment Work?

What Happens If a Defendant Does Not Pay a Judgment?

How Does Debt Assignment Work?

Can You Serve Someone with a Collections Lawsuit at Their Work?

What Is a Warrant in Debt?

How Many Times Can a Judgment be Renewed in Oklahoma?

Can an Eviction Be Reversed?

Does Debt Consolidation Have Risks?

What Happens If You Avoid Getting Served Court Papers?

Does Student Debt Die With You?

Can Debt Collectors Call You at Work in Texas?

How Much Do You Have to Be in Debt to File for Chapter 7?

What Is the Statute of Limitations on Debt in Washington?

How Long Does a Judgment Last?

Can Private Disability Payments Be Garnished?

Can Debt Collectors Call From Local Numbers?

Does the Fair Credit Reporting Act Work in Florida?

The Truth: Should You Never Pay a Debt Collection Agency?

Should You Communicate with a Debt Collector in Writing or by Telephone?

Do I Need a Debt Negotiator?

What Happens After a Motion for Default Is Filed?

Can a Process Server Leave a Summons Taped to My Door?

Learn More With These Additional Resources:

Need help managing your finances? Check out these resources.

How to Make a Debt Validation Letter - The Ultimate Guide

How to Make a Motion to Compel Arbitration Without an Attorney

How to Stop Wage Garnishment — Everything You Need to Know

How to File an FDCPA Complaint Against Your Debt Collector (Ultimate Guide)

Defending Yourself in Court Against a Debt Collector

Tips on you can to file an FDCPA lawsuit against a debt collection agency

Advice on how to answer a summons for debt collection.

Effective strategies for how to get back on track after a debt lawsuit

New Hampshire Statute of Limitations on Debt

Sample Cease and Desist Letter Against Debt Collectors

The Ultimate Guide to Responding to a Debt Collection Lawsuit in Utah

West Virginia Statute of Limitations on Debt

What debt collectors cannot do — FDCPA explained

Defending Yourself in Court Against Debt Collector

How to Liquidate Debt

Arkansas Statute of Limitations on Debt

You're Drowning in Debt — Here's How to Swim

Help! I'm Being Sued by My Debt Collector

How to Make a Motion to Vacate Judgment

How to Answer Summons for Debt Collection in Vermont

North Dakota Statute of Limitations on Debt

ClearPoint Debt Management Review

Indiana Statute of Limitations on Debt

Oregon Eviction Laws - What They Say

CuraDebt Debt Settlement Review

How to Write a Re-Aging Debt Letter

How to Appear in Court by Phone

How to Use the Doctrine of Unclean Hands

Debt Consolidation in Eugene, Oregon

Summoned to Court for Medical Bills? What to Do Next

How to Make a Debt Settlement Agreement

Received a 3-Day Eviction Notice? Here's What to Do

How to Answer a Lawsuit for Debt Collection

Tips for Leaving the Country With Unpaid Credit Card Debt

Kansas Statute of Limitations on Debt Collection

How to File in Small Claims Court in Iowa

How to File a Civil Answer in Kings County Supreme Court

Roseland Associates Debt Consolidation Review

How to Stop a Garnishment

Debt Eraser Review