 Legal procedure for warrant sales was governed by the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987.The practice was controversial, those who opposed it were concerned that it affected the poorest section of society who genuinely were unable to pay a debt, others claimed the legislation was needed to ensure people paid their debts.It became a contentious political issue in the late 1980s, when Scottish councils used the legislation against an ever-increasing number of Community Charge defaulters.