Tv licence warrent

LegacyUser

I got a voicemail saying that I've got a warrent for €285 for a tv licence fine.
It relates to an address I had 2.5 years ago before I left the country to go travelling. They said I wasn't answering their letters, but I never got any as I haven't been there in years!

Just checking, does a warrent just mean a fine in this case!?

I got warning letters and then got a court summons. I was out of the country for my court date, so didn't attend. I understood normally this incurs a higher fine than if you attend, I wasn't going to change my flights to oz etc. I did buy a licence before I left.

I assume it's just a fine, just hoping the whole thing hasn't snowballed in my absence!

Anyone any experience of simlar!?

kjl

it depends, does it have a judges signature on it, or is it just issues from your local post office.

Sometimes they use scary words to try and scare people into paying up.

Motley Crue

When you say a warrant, that usually implies that the court has ordered a sheriff to find you and bring you to your court date, and in this case a letter is usually the last thing they send, never mind a phone call.

Big question one - did you actually pay for a tv license when you said you would?

big question two - if you have left the country over 2 and a half years ago, to go to somewhere like Australia, did you leave the house in your name or has someone just been renting it and getting your old bills...are you the landlord or are you just an ex-tenant and the new tenants have bothered to get a license either?

big question three - did you go travelling, knowing you had an upcoming court date, and decide not only not to attend but also to not pay any of the current fine...thereby leaving things lying and hoping everything will go away?

I'd contact them and sort it out. You could be in serious trouble.

Adam

if you did buy a license before you left, and therefore before the warrant, why would there be a warrant? and if it was a clerical error i suggest you arrange a court appearance to explain such, if it was a mistake the judge will see it as such i'm sure, but avoiding it will just cause further problems.

Big Bag of Chips

Ignoring things doesn't usually make them go away!

If you bought a tv licence a long time ago, and nobody has changed the name or contact details on it since.. YOUR name is still on it, at that address. And if you bought one 2 and a half years ago, it is now overdue by a year and a half, and THAT (the overdue one) is the one you are getting the correspondence about.

Not your problem if you don't live there anymore, but, you need to contact whoever sent you the letter to explain this. Contact An Post to ask them to remove your name from that address as you no longer live there, and show up in court the next time to explain.

Then it'll be all sorted.

LegacyUser

THanks for the replies. I never got a fine, I just got a court summons. It just had my address on it which I knew I was moving out of, and seeing as I was out of the country for the court date and wouldn't be moving into the house again I just did nothing, except for buy a TV licence. Thought I'd get away with it to be honest. Don't know how they got my mobile number, possibly filled it in on my form when getting the tv licence?

I got a call on Monday lunch-time, missed it because I was at work. The guard was from the warrants office in Clontarf. She said she is ringing regarding a €285 warrant for no tv licence and to give her a call back.

I rang back that evening but she wasn't there. I rang back again this morning and left a message, and haven't heard back.

My name probably still is on that address in Dublin I don't really know, I never unregistered it anyway.

I’m not sure, but I have a feeling it is for the original case. Googling turned up an old thread on boards where it said that people who didn’t turn up that day faced a larger fine of €300 I think but those who did turn up paid €120. My fine would seem to be in the region of the €300 so hoping that I just pay it, learn my lesson and move on! Will also let my falt mates from the time know, so they can chip in! None of them were going out getting a licence!

I haven't actually seen the warrant so don't know If it has a judges signature on it or not.

Hoffmans

seriously the op must work for anpost

LegacyUser

Got a registered letter addressed to my ex last year which I forwarded onto her. Turned out it was much the same as the letter you recieved OP looking for payment for the year up until that date as well as the next year.

She'd moved out a week after opening the door to the license inspector and giving her name as occupant. She'd forgotten to tell me he called and the first I heard of it was when I got a panicked call from her after she opened the registered letter.

Can't remember exactly what amount they wanted, think it was the equivalent of the price for a license for two years. Failure to pay meant a court appearance and a fine I think of around 680. Despite both her and myself telling them she didn't live in the house anymore they wouldn't accept payment from me so I had to transfer the money to her.

Thought the whole thing was a bit stupid given I was happy to pay it, had told them my name and confirmed I was the sole occupant. Same thing this year, got a registered letter addressed to HER. Following on from the debacle the previous year and following her instruction I just binned it. Stupidest system ever.

LegacyUser

I've tried ringing back twice to sort this out, but have been unable to get the garda I needed, the one who left the voicemail. I've left my details and told them to tell her I called but I haven't heard back. I'll try again this morning I suppose.. find out how much trouble i'm in!

LegacyUser

My advice would be to ask Clontarf Gardai the name of the garda who looks after collecting fines.
Then ask when she is next on duty and drop down with the money.
Seems to me you were fined in the District Court in your absence. A warrant has now been issued because you didn't pay the fine within the stipulated time laid down by the Judge.
It is usually a month or 7 days by default.
So, as are back in the country that is why they have now caught up with you and are chasing the money.
You won't be imprisoned once you pay the fine.
That's all they want.
Let it be a lesson to anyone else reading this who might not bother paying TV licences. You will be caught and summoned to appear before the court. If you don't pay you will incur a fine and if you don't pay that you will be jailed.

ps. Mountjoy is so full with 'real' criminals that people who can't afford to pay fines are taken there by the Gardai and left in a waiting room for a few hours and then released by the prison authorities because they have no where to put them. Yhat was in a newspaper.