TV licence - Can they get search warrant & use Gardai?

blondie29

Hi folks

Don't know if this in the right forum.

My OH and I are renting a house at the moment and have a TV. Haven't renewed the licence in couple of years as we were travelling for few months and then I had to move home to help with sick parent, I won't go into rest of details.

Received letter in post today from An Post in my name saying that they've written several occasions and reason to believe TV set on premises. They say they have no option but to apply to District Court for Search Warrant & will have member of Gardai with the Inspector. They say there will be no further communication before such action but if we wish to avoid having house searched let them know if we intend purchasing TV licence.

My question is I never heard of anyone getting searched for a TV on their premises with Warrant or the Gardai accompanying an Inspector to carry this out. I have plenty of Garda friends/family members and none of them ever heard of any Guard accompanying an Inspector with warrant nor did they do it.

Is this just a threat or can they carry this out?

The reminder letters they had sent were always to "the occupant" but they must have looked up my name and put it on above letter.

Please help!

Losty Dublin

My understanding is that they can get an order if need be. In practice they'd need to have a jolly good reason to go to the time and expense to obtain one.

Reardless of this, given that you have a TV then why have you still not obtained a TV Licence for the house? Chances are that any more hassle, letters or even a day in court and a possible fine will vanish if you get one

camel jockey

Do you have a TV? If so pay for a licence like the rest of us.

234

blondie29 wrote: »

Hi folks

Don't know if this in the right forum.

My OH and I are renting a house at the moment and have a TV. Haven't renewed the licence in couple of years as we were travelling for few months and then I had to move home to help with sick parent, I won't go into rest of details.

Received letter in post today from An Post in my name saying that they've written several occasions and reason to believe TV set on premises. They say they have no option but to apply to District Court for Search Warrant & will have member of Gardai with the Inspector. They say there will be no further communication before such action but if we wish to avoid having house searched let them know if we intend purchasing TV licence.

My question is I never heard of anyone getting searched for a TV on their premises with Warrant or the Gardai accompanying an Inspector to carry this out. I have plenty of Garda friends/family members and none of them ever heard of any Guard accompanying an Inspector with warrant nor did they do it.

Is this just a threat or can they carry this out?

The reminder letters they had sent were always to "the occupant" but they must have looked up my name and put it on above letter.

Please help!

You could get a solicitor to write to An Post, arguing that their actions are over the top irrespective of their validity, threatening Joe Duffy, etc.

Of you could go for the cheaper option of actually getting a licence. I really can't think of any "legal" solution, beyond freemen, that would cost less than an actual licence.

No Pants

Your options are to buy a licence or move the TV to a house already covered by the licence. The second one will take longer, but might be more fun.

Pat Mustard

Losty Dublin wrote: »

they'd need to have a jolly good reason.

Sorry Losty, I couldn't resist:



EDIT: The picture doesn't show up anymore, so I put in a new one.:pac:

Losty Dublin

The Mustard wrote: »

Sorry Losty, I couldn't resist:

You rascally scag!

Galway K9

Sorry to dig up an old thread, i wanted to see was this search warrant ever pursued? It'd be great help to know.

SIX PACK

Wouldn't think so. Could you imagine the hassle for them to apply to the court for a search warrant accompanied by a member of the Gardaí to check if one has a TV on the premises.
TV licence inspectors are just Post office workers on Overtime putting the boot down to get the evaders to cough up and get a bonus for doing so. Some have been known to chance their arm and invite themselves into your property & take a picture of tv if 1 is there.

It's a bit of Cat & Mouse game how they get Names and addresses is just trough general post for occupants living at said address. Which is technically illegal. But so is Not having a TV licence

OldNotWIse

camel jockey wrote: »

Do you have a TV? If so pay for a licence like the rest of us.

Speak for yourself :pac::pac:

SIX PACK

Rte top Earners 2013 http://m.rte.ie/news/2013/0327/378730-rte-pay-presenters/ Just pay that TV licence Lot of high salaries to be paid

MarkAnthony

I think people think getting a search warrant is harder than it actually is.

Carawaystick

MarkAnthony wrote: »

I think people think getting a search warrant is harder than it actually is.

Brian Curtin

OldNotWIse

Carawaystick wrote: »

Brian Curtin

How is that relevant to how difficult it is to get a warrant? Wasn't the case struck out because the evidence was unconstitutionally obtained ie; without a valid search warrant. Perhaps TV license inspectors might have more than the pea sized intellect displayed by the guards in that case who couldn't count the days in a week.

MarkAnthony

Carawaystick wrote: »

Brian Curtin

Does that man not have a TV licence?!

OldNotWIse wrote: »

How is that relevant to how difficult it is to get a warrant? Wasn't the case struck out because the evidence was unconstitutionally obtained ie; without a valid search warrant. Perhaps TV license inspectors might have more than the pea sized intellect displayed by the guards in that case who couldn't count the days in a week.

Incidentally I've been looking for a house recently and saw one on Captain's Road, I thought that'd be great if I wanted to engage in illegal activity! :pac:

Robbo

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Incidentally I've been looking for a house recently and saw one on Captain's Road, I thought that'd be great if I wanted to engage in illegal activity! :pac:

Stay away from Cashel Road, that's already taken.

OldNotWIse

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Does that man not have a TV licence?!



Incidentally I've been looking for a house recently and saw one on Captain's Road, I thought that'd be great if I wanted to engage in illegal activity! :pac:

Indeed, sure the gobsh.ites on Cashel Road will pay for all your wrongdoings anyway

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

dok_golf

Sorry to dig up this thread, but can anyone tell me if an inspector has a right to peer ( and I use this word advisedly) through windows in order to ascertain whether there is a tv on a premises or not? I know they have right of entry. I ask, as my wife was in the shower today when the inspector called and he left a card in the letter box saying that a tv was observed. My wife, considering she was walking about after a shower, was very annoyed at this. She checked to see if our tv could easily be observed through the window but discovered that because of the way the sun was shining, she had to put her face right up to the glass, shield her eyes with her hands and "peer" through. Could anyone throw some light on this? Many thanks. ( Incidentally, we have a licence but I'm considering playing silly beggars for a while in order to highlight these actions with the licencing authority )

goz83

Could it be that he saw your missus, starkers and thought he was seen playing peekers, so he left a note to say that a tv was observed?