In a last petulant act, just as the bill to abolish Warrant Sales was about to pass into law, Labour passed an amendment delaying the implementation for 2 years to allow "alternatives" to warrants and poindings to be set up. Over 18 months passed, and a report was tabled at the end of April 2002, setting out the Executive's proposals. Surprise, surprise: Warrants and Poindings are back - in a new guise. The proposals set up a debt referral scheme whereby most debts rather than going straight to a sheriff are referred to debt management services. The Executive claim this will end warrant sales. Unfortunately, the scheme does not make referral compulsory on the creditor. An obdurate creditor could refuse and go straight to court where the sheriff could well impose compulsory seizure of goods - including from a person's home - poindings by another name. The measure would also turn all voluntary debt management agencies into legal agents, and this is annoying this sector. Clearly the Scottish Executive, having opposed the SSP bill down to the wire, attempted to sabotage its introduction and delayed it, thinking the express will of the parliament could be ignored. The SSP will be seeking the removal of poindings from the proposals and will be seeking the support of all those who voted for the bill to that end. Since the Act was introduced, the number of poindings has reduced almost to zero as councils tound alternate measures and leared the bad DuDBe 0025:
Warrant Sales - the living dead
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