TV licence

yrreg0850

I have a holiday home which has a disused Sat dish at the rear of the property. There is no TV on the premises .
When I arrived for the weekend I found a note that a TV licence inspector had called , observed an aerial/ Dish and, I must state if I have a licence or , purchase one.
This disused dish is only visable from my property and, not visable from any point on the public road.
Am I liable for a licence and, how can the inspector state he/she observed a dish without trespassing on my property.?

Trigger Happy

Maybe they used drones or satellite photos?!
How does the post man deliver letters? Does he have to trespass to get to your letter box?

wexie

Could they just have seen in while walking to the front door to see if anybody was home?
Not sure that really constitutes trespassing to be honest.

Mint Sauce

Any device capable of receiving a signal, even if its not used for that purpose, requires a licence, not sure if a dish falls under this catorgory.

Easiest option. If the dish is disused, take it down, and get a form from the Post Office, to state that you have no TV.

I wonder sometimes if the postman or post office even informs them. Last house I lived in, I was the only one who received mail. No TV licence reminders till postman started delivering.

AlanG

Under the broadcast act you need a license for a television set. Unless this section has been superseded the dish is of no relevance as it cannot exhibit a broadcast. Just fill out a declaration that you have no set.


See section 140 at http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2009/act/18/enacted/en/print

“ television set ” means any electronic apparatus capable of receiving and exhibiting television broadcasting services broadcast for general reception (whether or not its use for that purpose is dependent on the use of anything else in conjunction with it) and any software or assembly comprising such apparatus and other apparatus;

Squatter

Mint Sauce wrote: »

I wonder sometimes if the postman or post office even informs them. Last house I lived in, I was the only one who received mail. No TV licence reminders till postman started delivering.

I have heard it said that postmen (postpersons?) get a bonus for identifying homeowners without a tv licence who subsequently purchase one.

A friend moved into a new build in a remote part of Kerry on a Monday, had a Sky dish installed on the Friday and a letter arrived from the tv licensing people the following week. He still doesn't know whether Sky tipped them off or whether it was the postman!

guestwifi

If you've got no TV, satellite decoder etc you don't need a license. Been through this with my local inspector more than once in the last few years, I have a dish up too but no television, no Sky/freesat box, nothing capable of receiving the signal from the dish.

dundalkfc10

Squatter wrote: »

I have heard it said that postmen (postpersons?) get a bonus for identifying homeowners without a tv licence who subsequently purchase one.

A friend moved into a new build in a remote part of Kerry on a Monday, had a Sky dish installed on the Friday and a letter arrived from the tv licensing people the following week. He still doesn't know whether Sky tipped them off or whether it was the postman!

The first bolded part is 100% not true.

SKY!

iomusicdublin

Same thing happened to me. There was a dish on my house from the previous owner, I just cut the cable at the front of the house. I was not technically permitted to remove the dish as it still belonged to the TV company.

Your Face

You've two options OP:


Start a self-righteous Twitter campaign

OR

Burn the house down.

BarryD2

Ah just pay the licence and be done with it. It'll save you a lot of hassle. Once you're in the system and they know of you, you'll get endless letters and reminders. Only people I've known of who've avoided paying the TV licence are those who never had a licence and were unknown.

yrreg0850

AlanG wrote: »

Under the broadcast act you need a license for a television set. Unless this section has been superseded the dish is of no relevance as it cannot exhibit a broadcast. Just fill out a declaration that you have no set.


This is ok, but my second question was, how did the inspector see the dish without trespassing, as the dish is not visable from any public area Even my drive way.

I am inclined to think this was a" fishing" exercise and any house that was not registered as having a licence got such a note.

yrreg0850

BarryD2 wrote: »

Ah just pay the licence and be done with it. It'll save you a lot of hassle. Once you're in the system and they know of you, you'll get endless letters and reminders. Only people I've known of who've avoided paying the TV licence are those who never had a licence and were unknown.

Why shold I when I don't have a TV.

JoeySully

was your name on the letter ? or just "the occupant" ?
if the latter i would just bin it and get on with your life.

Graces7

I had that letter when I had the digiweb dish up;think it was a nasty neighbour who told An Post.

The thing was I had no TV AND a free TV licence; they had not crosschecked. Told them off. It is a nasty letter after all.

Mint Sauce

Squatter wrote: »

I have heard it said that postmen (postpersons?) get a bonus for identifying homeowners without a tv licence who subsequently purchase one.

A friend moved into a new build in a remote part of Kerry on a Monday, had a Sky dish installed on the Friday and a letter arrived from the tv licensing people the following week. He still doesn't know whether Sky tipped them off or whether it was the postman!

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

The first bolded part is 100% not true.

SKY!

Is it? As said, the last house I lived in, there was never a TV Licence reminder till I moved in.

It was a house share, the people I had moved in with had been there up to a year. Dish on outside, but not connected. Only mail received was the Leccy bill every two months, everyone else had mail sent to their home address, I had mine sent to the house.

Couple weeks later, TV Licence. Co incidence?

dundalkfc10

Graces7 wrote: »

I had that letter when I had the digiweb dish up;think it was a nasty neighbour who told An Post.

The thing was I had no TV AND a free TV licence; they had not crosschecked. Told them off. It is a nasty letter after all.

I moved property, got a letter saying had no tv licence. Rang them up to change the address. was told over phone thats done and got letter confirming.

Letter after Letter arrived saying no tv licence including a soliciors letter. Decided id email them a copy of the letter and just put a note on it saying WHAT?

Never heard from them again

Hector Savage

What about if you have a laptop ?
One can watch films/netflix on it, but not live TV ... do you need a licence ?

SortingYouOut

Hector Savage wrote: »

What about if you have a laptop ?
One can watch films/netflix on it, but not live TV ... do you need a licence ?

That's on the horizon supposedly

yrreg0850

Graces7 wrote: »

I had that letter when I had the digiweb dish up;think it was a nasty neighbour who told An Post.

The thing was I had no TV AND a free TV licence; they had not crosschecked. Told them off. It is a nasty letter after all.

I had a similar experience with an elderly relation who also had a free licence ..
Person moved to nursing home, short while later advised that as social welfare status changed and no longer entitled to free TV licence, OK.
By this time The TV and, most of her property had been removed from the house.

However a series of threatning letters which I as the keyholder ignored arrived at the house demanding a TV licence including a threat of court.
I eventually replied on her behalf and explained the reason (they should have known) that the free licence was removed and, told them go ahead and take an 89 year old nursing home patient to court for no TV licence for a house with no TV where she no longer lives.
Heard no more.

Cienciano

I got a letter and on the back you could fill out a form saying we had no TV. I filled that out about 7 years ago and haven't heard from them since. I do have a tv, but just use Netflix, I don't have sky or even freeview, so I'm happy not paying.

BarryD2 wrote: »

Ah just pay the licence and be done with it. It'll save you a lot of hassle. Once you're in the system and they know of you, you'll get endless letters and reminders. Only people I've known of who've avoided paying the TV licence are those who never had a licence and were unknown.

Don't do this.

Discodog

The postmen have to fill out the names for any addresses on the database. This is why To the Occupier letters end up addressed by name.

yrreg0850

Discodog wrote: »

The postmen have to fill out the names for any addresses on the database. This is why To the Occupier letters end up addressed by name.

Dont think it is the postman.
The date on my note was a Saturday !!
It's a long long time since Saturday post.
So An Post/RTE must be paying overtime for their fishing expeditions.

Stigura

I'm happy to be corrected on this. But, I thought a TV license inspector was actually allowed to enter ye very home. They are, after all, the modern equivalent of the despised 'Kings Tax Collector' or yore.

yrreg0850

Stigura wrote: »

I'm happy to be corrected on this. But, I thought a TV license inspector was actually allowed to enter ye very home. They are, after all, the modern equivalent of the despised 'Kings Tax Collector' or yore.

Only a garda or customs officer with a valid warrent can enter your home.

Skatedude

Fyi, Saturday post has been back for a while now.

yrreg0850

Skatedude wrote: »

Fyi, Saturday post has been back for a while now.

Not in rural ireland!!

i71jskz5xu42pb

yrreg0850 wrote: »

Why shold I when I don't have a TV.

If you don't have a TV don't pay the license. I didn't have one for about 8 years. I got a letter in the door three times over that period from the license guys. They provided an email (Dublin.TVLicence@anpost.ie) where I could just indicate that I didn't have a TV. Job done, it's really no more complicated than that.

Mint Sauce

yrreg0850 wrote: »

Dont think it is the postman.
The date on my note was a Saturday !!
It's a long long time since Saturday post.
So An Post/RTE must be paying overtime for their fishing expeditions.

But the postman may have passed your details, during his rounds in the week. The inspector, could probably call any day.

Mint Sauce

Stigura wrote: »

I'm happy to be corrected on this. But, I thought a TV license inspector was actually allowed to enter ye very home. They are, after all, the modern equivalent of the despised 'Kings Tax Collector' or yore.

No they cant, unless they have a warrent, even then I think a Guard has to be with them.

Stigura

Stigura wrote: »

I'm happy to be corrected on this. But, I thought a TV license inspector was actually allowed to enter ye very home. They are, after all, the modern equivalent of the despised 'Kings Tax Collector' of yore.

yrreg0850 wrote: »

Only a garda or customs officer with a valid warrent can enter your home.

Mint Sauce wrote: »

No they cant, unless they have a warrent, even then I think a Guard has to be with them.

Hmm. Irish Times sayeth: And under the Broadcasting Act 2009 they have the right to enter “at any reasonable time any premises or specified place for the purposes of ascertaining whether there is a television set there”.

Linky Pretty sure I'd come across that elsewhere too

i71jskz5xu42pb

Stigura wrote: »

Hmm. Irish Times sayeth: And under the Broadcasting Act 2009 they have the right to enter “at any reasonable time any premises or specified place for the purposes of ascertaining whether there is a television set there”.

Linky Pretty sure I'd come across that elsewhere too

The relevant statute for all the budding Matlocks:

it's the law wrote:

(3) An officer of an issuing agent may enter at any reasonable time any premises or specified place for the purposes of ascertaining whether there is a television set there and a television licence is for the time being in force in respect of the premises or specified place authorising the keeping of a television set at the premises or specified place.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2009/act/18/section/146/enacted/en/html#sec146

Now I can't see a license inspector kicking in your door but if you're not around I doubt they'd be above taking a stroll around the house and peeking in a fuinneog or two

_Brian

People must be really pissing off the postman if he’s tipping TV Licence crew about them.
Have never heard of it happening and with three different postmen at this address and I’d say similar at our last address we’ve never had a licence.
Actually moved out from my folks in 1993 and have never had one.

Stonedpilot

Anyone who pays the TV license is an eejit.
Just run the guy when he comes to the door or better yet dont answer.


I've never got a decent reply to this question


Why pay to have RTE presenters live in mansions in Dalkey and Foxrock and shovel coke up their noses when Joe Soap struggles?.


Phuck em.

gerard2210

Skatedude wrote: »

Fyi, Saturday post has been back for a while now.

Saturday deliveries is for parcels only, and only in towns and cities.