HELP!! Tv License

moses23

Just got a summons to court from the TV Licence people for not having one, ever...
However, i'm moving to Australia for a year or so and will miss the court date, what is the best thing to do in this situation?? I won't be moving back to the same house when I come back from Australia, so surely they won't be able to find me??

cojomo2

moses23 wrote: »

Just got a summons to court from the TV Licence people for not having one, ever...
However, i'm moving to Australia for a year or so and will miss the court date, what is the best thing to do in this situation?? I won't be moving back to the same house when I come back from Australia, so surely they won't be able to find me??

Ok, did they address it you you(your actual name?)

Have a closer look at it, it may appear to be a summons, but read the smaller print, it may give you the option to buy a license immediately before an actual summons is issued.

Did an inspector visit you(inside your home)? If not, they are working on the assumption you have a TV. If you can show you don't(cough), then they cant do anything..

Let me know how you get on..

Our man in Havana

It is probably a letter addressed to the occupant, i.e. a fishing trip.

mielag

can they do that without prior warning?

moses23

It's actually addressed to me, but I won't be in that house when I come back from Australia, or in the same county even! so will they still be looking for me??
A man came to the house, asked for my name, but he never asked if we had a tv, and he never checked for ID or came inside the house.... its definitely a summons to court....but I think I'll just feck off and forget about it!!

????

Our man in Havana

What evidence do they have that you have a TV?

The_Morrigan

moses23 wrote: »

A man came to the house, asked for my name, but he never asked if we had a tv, and he never checked for ID or came inside the house.... its definitely a summons to court....but I think I'll just feck off and forget about it!!

????

Well they have a list of what houses hold licenses, and I would assume that the address you currently reside doesn't - thats why they called and asked for your name. With the name they can search and then send out a letter when they get no hits!!

I had a dude call to the door over the tv license, cos there wasn't one registered at this address - but I did have one, just it was my previous address - showed it to him and he went on his merry way.

moses23

So everyone's agreed I should feck off to Australia and forget about it??!!

I won't be in the country for the court date or for the foreseeable future, so I can't see the point in worrying about it.......

RuggieBear

if you can pay for a trip to Oz surely you can afford to pay the tv licence to avoid hassle when you return...?

found these threads which might be of interest

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055047345

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=103802

Lenny

It sounds liken
Moses just wants everyone to tell him it ok.
It your life mate, if you miss the court date there will
Be a summons out on hour arrest, so that very day when you return from oz you will morethan likely be arrested in Dublin airport an brought to jail for an await a new trial date.
An if you think that you're moving to anoither county will stop you being found will make no difference!

Our man in Havana

Be a summons out on hour arrest, so that very day when you return from oz you will morethan likely be arrested in Dublin airport an brought to jail for an await a new trial date.

Not a chance of that happening.

pitkan

Haddockman wrote: »

Not a chance of that happening.

As Moses says` it`s definitely a summons to court` and if Moses does not show then a warrant will be issued for Moses`s arrest. I doubt though that the Gardai will be awaiting the return of Moses back to Ireland but who knows.

Our man in Havana

He will be fined in his absence at worst. Also they do not keep a record of such petty matters at Dublin Airport.

mikemac

I went to court for not paying my TV licence.

There was a huge list of names on the courtroom noticeboard and you just wait your turn.

I was caught, I hold my hands up so I bought a TV licence about 20 minutes before I went to court.
Was asked if I had anything to say, "nothing to say Judge".
Got a 130 euro fine, ouch! Could have been worse though

My neighbours were there too, seemed half my estate was there!
Of course the skanger types had tales of woe.
"I'm unemployed/single parent/ on a drug treatment program/on an adult literacy scheme", take your pick from one of these or maybe all four

The judge didn't give them a fine, more fool me for not playing the sympathy card and not dressing in a tracksuit :rolleyes:. I'll know for next time
And some got something called the probation act, I don't think they got fined at all

Back to the OP, everyone who like me said nothing payed 130 euro fine.
If you didn't show up the judge trebled it to 360 euro and a new demand will be sent out.

I didn't hear anything about arrest warrants.

Our man in Havana

As said fines in the absense of the defendant are order of the day for a no show. It is only for serious criminal matters will a warrant be issued.

mhigh86

moses23 wrote: »

Just got a summons to court from the TV Licence people for not having one, ever...
However, i'm moving to Australia for a year or so and will miss the court date, what is the best thing to do in this situation?? I won't be moving back to the same house when I come back from Australia, so surely they won't be able to find me??

Paid for tv licence before you head to Oz and get someone to be in court with ur licence on the day and all will be ok.

slimjimmc

Haddockman wrote: »

As said fines in the absense of the defendant are order of the day for a no show. It is only for serious criminal matters will a warrant be issued.

That's ok if the OP is aware of the fine and pays it or has it paid on his behalf. However if he's not keeping tabs on the situation and fails to abide by the court order, for whatever reason, wouldn't a summons be issued then?

Our man in Havana

You mean a penal warrant?

A penal warrant is not going to executed when the OP arrives back in Dublin Airport. The warrant will be held by the local Garda station. If they hear the OP is back they will execute the warrant.

gpjordanf1

Oh please, OP head off to Oz and dont worry your head about it. If the USA cant find osama then our finest hasn't a snowball's chance in hell in finding you, and it's a rental house so dont sweat it. But you could send a registered letter to the court apologising for the situation but you had to emigrate on economic reason's,say you dont have the means to pay a fine and all will be forgotten.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

I think it's odd that you got a court summons without being asked if you have a TV. Do you have a sky subscription or anything similar?

I would let them know that you are planning on leaving the country and will not be able to attend court.

I definately would not ignore it, it may come back to bite you in the arse at a later date.

If you don't have a TV then I would write them a letter stating that.

We got a letter a few months back stating that we HAD to pay for a TV license, the letter was very persumptious. There are people who do not have a TV. I had one for my gaming consoles years back but was never interested in watching TV, haven't had a TV for quite some time.

moses23

RuggieBear wrote: »

if you can pay for a trip to Oz surely you can afford to pay the tv licence to avoid hassle when you return...?

found these threads which might be of interest

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055047345

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=103802

You would think, but I'm saving all the money I can for going to Oz and really CAN'T afford it... and I don't want to pay a licence for the past yr and a half in the house when I'm leaving the house. Also RTE is SCRAP so I wouldn't ever fancy paying a TV licence for the likes of Pat Kenny, whether I was loaded or not!

moses23

They never asked if we had a tv or came into the house, this man just arrived at the door saying he was from An Post and checking to see who did or did not live there, it was as if he was checking what post shouldn't be going to the house, and I didn't cop on. He asked for my name, didn't ask for ID, said it was just about TV licenses and walked off. A letter was posted out about the TV licence and I sent it back saying "No longer at this address".
We have NTL.
I can't go to court, I don't know if I can get one of the other two housemates to go in my place?
So I'll probably write a letter of some description saying it was a mistake or something, not sure.

The_Morrigan

moses23 wrote: »

They never asked if we had a tv or came into the house, this man just arrived at the door saying he was from An Post and checking to see who did or did not live there, it was as if he was checking what post shouldn't be going to the house, and I didn't cop on. He asked for my name, didn't ask for ID, said it was just about TV licenses and walked off. A letter was posted out about the TV licence and I sent it back saying "No longer at this address".
We have NTL.
I can't go to court, I don't know if I can get one of the other two housemates to go in my place?
So I'll probably write a letter of some description saying it was a mistake or something, not sure.

Oh for the love of God....get the housemates to get a tv licence and you pay a pro rata amount for the remainder of your time in the house.
Its not a case of whether you want to or not, you are supposed to have a license - end of.
All you're doing is passing the problem to those that will remain in the house when you leave.

slimjimmc

+1
However as he is the one named on the summons the problem is already his, it won't be passed on to anyone else.
He is now responsible. There are only 2 choices, sort out the problem or accept the consequences.

The_Morrigan

slimjimmc wrote: »

+1
However as he is the one named on the summons the problem is already his, it won't be passed on to anyone else.
He is now responsible. There are only 2 choices, sort out the problem or accept the consequences.

Well yes, the OP is responsible for the current situation, but if the OP fecks off without sorting it, the house will still be left without a license and the other housemates could then be caught out on top of the OP having consequences of their own.

Our man in Havana

That is their own problem.