TV Licensing may not be happy with me

grundie

I don't know if this is the right forum to ask this, apologies if it is.

Not long after I got home from work yesterday there was a knock on my door and it was a TV licence inspector asking me to explain why I had not purchased a licence. I told him it's because I don't own a TV*, to which he replied "Well, you wouldn't mind me having a look round to confirm that". I answered that I did mind and that I had already written to them twice telling them I had no TV. He countered that they will not believe such letters until they are admitted to the property to confirm this.

After a few minutes of me trying to explain why I wasn't going to admit a random stranger to my flat I told him that if he didn't leave I'd call security.

I live in an apartment block and just inside the main doors there is a big legal warning sign that has words to the effect of "To enter this building you must be invited in by a resident and your business inside this building will be limited to dealing with that resident only, otherwise you may be trespassing".

I asked the inspector how he got in since he didn't call to my flat via the intercom, he admitted he tailed someone in through the main doors. So I closed the door and called security. After some initial reluctance to deal with him as he was a licence inspector I insisted they remove him, so the guard came up and asked him to leave as he was knocking on other doors in my corridor.

My question is, the TV licensing people are going to be gunning for me, aren't they? I don't think they are going to be too happy with the way I dealt with that situation.


*I genuinely don't, nor do I have PC cards or anything like that.

icanchange49

Smells sinister to me. Check his bona fides?

grundie

icanchange49 wrote: »

Smells sinister to me. Check his bona fides?

I have no doubt he was genuine. He did have an ID (albeit only flashed at me) and a clipboard full of An Post documentation. And my neighbours got legitimate 'you weren't in' cards from him.

I was just annoyed he tailed someone to get in to the block and that they keep ignoring my letters.

niceirishfella

As far as i'm concerned, he had no business in your private complex without your invite/permission.

Our man in Havana

It is trespassing for a start.

TV licence inspectors are devious nerks and are not adverse to bending the law to get a scalp. There is no obligation to allow one inside unless he is accompanied by a member of AGS and has a search warrant. You cannot be prosecuted on the basis of a hunch. He must see a TV to get a conviction.

niceirishfella

+1

totally agree.
OP, if this nonce or any other from an post shows at your door again, the first you ask for is ID bagde and physically take it off him and look it over.
Then don't engage in conversation with him/her and tell them they are tresspassing and to leave or you'll call security (like you did before) forthwith.
Also, put it in writing to the security co in your apt complex to not let this happen again and your privacy be compromised.

grundie

Bond-007 wrote: »

It is trespassing for a start.

TV licence inspectors are devious nerks and are not adverse to bending the law to get a scalp. There is no obligation to allow one inside unless he is accompanied by a member of AGS and has a search warrant. You cannot be prosecuted on the basis of a hunch. He must see a TV to get a conviction.

That's what I suspected.

I am bracing myself though as I don't think the inspector or his superiors will be happy with what I did. I don't have anything to hide, but I'd rather they never made any attempt to ever contact me.

danash

grundie wrote: »

That's what I suspected.

I am bracing myself though as I don't think the inspector or his superiors will be happy with what I did. I don't have anything to hide, but I'd rather they never made any attempt to ever contact me.

If you dont have a TV as you stated I would actually enjoy the sport of watching them try and catch you out. I'd make sure to report every transgression on their part.....let the games commence.

Del2005

Bond-007 wrote: »

It is trespassing for a start.

TV licence inspectors are devious nerks and are not adverse to bending the law to get a scalp. There is no obligation to allow one inside unless he is accompanied by a member of AGS and has a search warrant. You cannot be prosecuted on the basis of a hunch. He must see a TV to get a conviction.

Would it be possible to call the Gardai and get him arrested for trespass if they are breaking into the building by tailgating others? Might make them change there ways.

Our man in Havana

The problem with that is that trespassing is a civil matter, unless he entered to commit other crimes then it would be a criminal offence.

upthedub

You should of introduced him to black and blue.:D

I think them people that do that are one of the lowest of the lowest jobs;)

drunkmonkey

Surely he can't just walk into your home without permission, that would require a garda and a search warrant...

OP what do you play playstation on, got a licence for it or is it required?

drunkmonkey

upthedub wrote: »

You should of introduced him to black and blue.:D

I think them people that do that are one of the lowest of the lowest jobs;)

them and parking attendents, scum of the earth, should be pasturised at birth..

dermot_sheehan

No warrant, no admittance.

Your home is your castle

freedom of info

grundie wrote: »

I don't know if this is the right forum to ask this, apologies if it is.

Not long after I got home from work yesterday there was a knock on my door and it was a TV licence inspector asking me to explain why I had not purchased a licence. I told him it's because I don't own a TV*, to which he replied "Well, you wouldn't mind me having a look round to confirm that". I answered that I did mind and that I had already written to them twice telling them I had no TV. He countered that they will not believe such letters until they are admitted to the property to confirm this.

After a few minutes of me trying to explain why I wasn't going to admit a random stranger to my flat I told him that if he didn't leave I'd call security.

I live in an apartment block and just inside the main doors there is a big legal warning sign that has words to the effect of "To enter this building you must be invited in by a resident and your business inside this building will be limited to dealing with that resident only, otherwise you may be trespassing".

I asked the inspector how he got in since he didn't call to my flat via the intercom, he admitted he tailed someone in through the main doors. So I closed the door and called security. After some initial reluctance to deal with him as he was a licence inspector I insisted they remove him, so the guard came up and asked him to leave as he was knocking on other doors in my corridor.

My question is, the TV licensing people are going to be gunning for me, aren't they? I don't think they are going to be too happy with the way I dealt with that situation.


*I genuinely don't, nor do I have PC cards or anything like that.

the only people who can legally enter your home or property without a warrant are customs and excise the can enter if they are invited, just like vampires

Carawaystick

If they call again, you should record the conversation on your phone, and still refuse to admit them to you house.
Or else just close the door in their face and ignore them.

ReadySteadyGo

Great Thread - did they ever come back or try anything else?

jakdelad

these are guys who dident make it in police school or security
wanna bes, up late watching CSI law n order
BE CAREFULL do not let strangers in.
invest in some good security
electric gates,cctv, motion detectors. a rothweiler all helps
mace spray n a taser if ya can get one
security is no accident, it has to be practised

Oink

IANAL, but surely you can't go about harassing citizens on the presumption that they are breaking the law? WTF?

However, does anybody what is the LEGAL way for them to check that the OP is in compliance? Surely they have a better recourse than to bully their way in to check?