What is a summary warrant
When debts are for council tax arrears or HMRC or Revenue Scotland debts, they can be processed through a summary warrant. This allows local and central government creditors to achieve the equivalent of a court judgment much more quickly. Summary warrants bypass the court’s normal processes and act faster than a typical court action.
A summary warrant is similar to a court order and allows further actions to be taken against a client should money not be recovered. The warrant details the amount due and who to contact for payment. Usually, this is the sheriff officers rather than the creditor. The debt is increased by a 10 per cent surcharge.
Court action is usually preceded by the creditor contacting the client requesting payment to be made.