TV Licence summons for a house you do not live in.

Doyton

Hi

I have been summoned to court for not having a tv licence at an address that I have never lived at only visited. I was unlucky to meet a tv licence inspector as I left the apartment to meet up with owner. (I had called to their work earlier and collected the key of apartment from them as they wanted me to bring them something from the apartment) guy asked me if I live there, I assumed it was thier landlord and said no that it was I was just collecting something for the owner and meeting them in town. I gave him my name (silly I know) he then said he was a tv licence inspector. I

Now I have my own tv licence for my address and can prove that I lived there at this time.

My questions are:

I assume by turning up in court with these details I will have the summons struck out.

Is there another way of dealing with this without the hassel of going to court?

If not can I claim for expenses in this situation?
i.e. taking a day off work, travel expenses etc.

On another point

The summons is addressed to a name that never lived at that address so does this person then exist?

If so how can a court prove that this person is me.

Mountjoy Mugger

How/where did you receive the summons?

kn

Definitely turn up in Court or the Judge will automatically convict you and it will be only cost you more looking to appeal the conviction.

PS you say you gave the inspector your name. How did they get your address?

Doyton

Mountjoy Mugger wrote: »

How/where did you receive the summons?

My friend dropped it into my parents house. when they where down from Dublin last weekend. They were curious why my name was on a letter to their address.

Doyton

kn wrote: »

Definitely turn up in Court or the Judge will automatically convict you and it will be only cost you more looking to appeal the conviction.

PS you say you gave the inspector your name. How did they get your address?

The letter had my name with my friends address on it.

EGriff

I thought a summons had to be handed by a garda to the person named on it? Your friend should have said that person doesn't live here and not accepted it.

EGriff

kn wrote: »

Definitely turn up in Court or the Judge will automatically convict you and it will be only cost you more looking to appeal the conviction.

PS you say you gave the inspector your name. How did they get your address?

Surely you can't be convicted if the summons is addressed to a place you don't live and have never lived.

I'm not talking any freeman stuff here just but John Smith, 12 Blah Lane, Dublin 14 isn't the same person as John Smith, 14 Fake St, Galway for example.

Mountjoy Mugger

I'd get it returned to the sender, marked "not known at this address", asap.

icdg

Legal advice is something best gotten from a solicitor and we can't give it here. Either way, we have a rule that all TV licensing queries are dealt with in the TV Licencing thread, though we can't give legal advice there, either.