 Sheriff officers (private companies, even though their title suggests they are court employees) were the choice of the local authorities to collect the outstanding debts.Under the 1987 act, the debt collectors were permitted to enter a debtor's home and poind (put a value on) items, which would be subject to a later, public, sale under warrant (warrant sale).The practice was abolished when Tommy Sheridan, MSP, of the Scottish Socialist Party, introduced a private member's bill in 2001, and the Scottish Parliament voted to remove the legislation from Scots law under the Abolition of Poindings and Warrant Sales Act 2001.