TV license fine without owning a TV

theballz

Hi Guys,

Yesterday I received a letter in the post by the TV license inspector issuing a fine for not paying my license.

A few things on this:
1) The letter was not headed it simply contained "Occupier"
2) I have only been living in the apartment a little over a month, travel a lot with work and haven't even had time to purchase a television because I am never there
3) I use my laptop the odd time when I'm in bed to watch Netflix, I haven't activated Sky, Virgin etc - how have they come to this conclusion?

To the best of my knowledge the apartment was vacant for a few months before i moved in so I don't think it's the case that the previous occupant had a TV and just didn't bother paying.

I don't mind paying the TV license fee, it's the law but I'm slightly pissed off considering I don't even own one. I am not paying for something that I don't own - are they chancing their arm?

EdEd

Bin it. How can they fine you when they don't know your name?

DenMan

Do you have the ability to receive a television signal in your place of residence? If you have an aerial on the roof or if it's been disconnected they check for that.

letsseehere14

Unfortunately you don't need to have a tv to need a tv licence. Once the place has the capability of receiving a signal you need a licence. That's an aerial, dish or even just a cable. Doesn't matter if you don't have a tv.

Also you can buy a licence online so the excuse of not bring around won't fly with them either.

Wanderer78

letsseehere14 wrote:

Also you can buy a licence online so the excuse of not bring around won't fly with them either.

Do they really need a license?

rgace

Sounds like a fishing excercise and I'd say they are basing it on nothing other than the fact there is no tv licence at that address.

As mentioned above there is no name on the letter so you have nothing to worry about.

Harry Palmr

Every household, business or institution in Ireland with a television or equipment capable of receiving a television signal (using an aerial, satellite dish, cable or other means) must have a television licence. A television licence is a certificate that states that you have paid the appropriate fee to the government and contributed to the cost of public service broadcasting in Ireland. Your television licence is issued for 1 year in general.

So online inlcuded?

Nope!

If your household, business or institution possesses a television or equipment capable of receiving a television signal, you are required by law to have a television licence. Even if the television or other equipment is broken and currently unable to receive a signal, it is regarded as capable of being repaired so it can receive a signal and you must hold a licence for it. Failure to produce evidence of a television licence to an inspector can result in a court appearance and on conviction, you can receive a substantial fine. People who have been fined and who have breached court orders directing them to pay their television licence can be imprisoned.

You do not require a television licence to watch television on your computer or mobile phone. However, the computer must not be able to receive a signal distributed by conventional television broadcasting networks, for example, cable, satellite or aerial.

Doctors room ghost

If they haven’t even put a name on it how can you be held accountable.either burn it or pass on the good luck and post it in your neighbors letterbox.

TheChizler

letsseehere14 wrote: »

Unfortunately you don't need to have a tv to need a tv licence. Once the place has the capability of receiving a signal you need a licence. That's an aerial, dish or even just a cable. Doesn't matter if you don't have a tv.

This is absolutely false. The license is for possession of a television set.

Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1972 wrote:

“television set” means any apparatus for wireless telegraphy designed primarily for the purpose of receiving and exhibiting television programmes broadcast for general reception (whether or not its use for that purpose is dependent on the use of anything else in conjunction therewith) and any assembly comprising such apparatus and other apparatus.

28064212

letsseehere14 wrote: »

Unfortunately you don't need to have a tv to need a tv licence. Once the place has the capability of receiving a signal you need a licence. That's an aerial, dish or even just a cable. Doesn't matter if you don't have a tv.

Incorrect. From the Broadcasting Act 2009:

142.— (1) Subject to the exceptions mentioned in subsection (3), a person shall not keep or have in his or her possession anywhere in the territory of the State a television set save in so far as such keeping or possession is authorised by a television licence for the time being in force.

“ television set ” means any electronic apparatus capable of receiving and exhibiting television broadcasting services broadcast for general reception

An aerial or dish is not capable of exhibiting a broadcast.

muffler

rgace wrote: »

As mentioned above there is no name on the letter so you have nothing to worry about.

Not true. The letter can be sent the owner or occupier

Greybottle

Don't bin it. Write back a short letter stating when you moved in, that you don't have TV or anything that can receive a signal and that you have no intention of purchasing one.

rgace

How will this fine be enforced on the occupier?

Doctors room ghost

Greybottle wrote: »

Don't bin it. Write back a short letter stating when you moved in, that you don't have TV or anything that can receive a signal and that you have no intention of purchasing one.

I wouldn’t waste your time with them.lazy parasites can’t even be bothered to find out who lives there.

Harry Palmr

theballz wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Yesterday I received a letter in the post by the TV license inspector issuing a fine for not paying my license.

A few things on this:
1) The letter was not headed it simply contained "Occupier"
2) I have only been living in the apartment a little over a month, travel a lot with work and haven't even had time to purchase a television because I am never there
3) I use my laptop the odd time when I'm in bed to watch Netflix, I haven't activated Sky, Virgin etc - how have they come to this conclusion?

To the best of my knowledge the apartment was vacant for a few months before i moved in so I don't think it's the case that the previous occupant had a TV and just didn't bother paying.

I don't mind paying the TV license fee, it's the law but I'm slightly pissed off considering I don't even own one. I am not paying for something that I don't own - are they chancing their arm?

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

I wouldn’t waste your time with them.lazy parasites can’t even be bothered to find out who lives there.

How would you discover the ID of someone who has barely touched down and almost certainly has not notified anyone with statutory powers that they are at this new address?

All An Post have done is note that an address is not covered by a licence and sent a "demand" out. Deal with it on that basis.

Del2005

muffler wrote: »

Not true. The letter can be sent the owner or occupier

There's no one in my place called occupier or owner so any mail to them is shredded.

EdEd

I thought it was illegal to interfere with mail addressed to someone else. Unless my name is on the letter then it isn't worth the envelope it was sent in.

theballz

Thank you for the responses! Appreciate all of the help

A few of you have mentioned that I would still have to pay if their is simply an aerial on the roof (TV or no TV.)

I can confirm that the Apartment block owners ran Sky cables into all of the apartments. The cables where simply ran incase the tenant wanted to subscribe to Sky. As mentioned i have not done this and have absolutely zero intention of doing so

theballz

Harry Palmr wrote: »

How would you discover the ID of someone who has barely touched down and almost certainly has not notified anyone with statutory powers that they are at this new address?

All An Post have done is note that an address is not covered by a licence and sent a "demand" out. Deal with it on that basis.

The entire basis of the letter is that i need to pay for something that I do not own. It's ridiculous

Bob24

theballz wrote: »

Thank you for the responses! Appreciate all of the help

A few of you have mentioned that I would still have to pay if their is simply an aerial on the roof (TV or no TV.)

I can confirm that the Apartment block owners ran Sky cables into all of the apartments. The cables where simply ran incase the tenant wanted to subscribe to Sky. As mentioned i have not done this and have absolutely zero intention of doing so

Don’t worry about that, incorrect information was given.

You require a licence if you have a TV set (even if it is broken or if it is an analog one which can’t pickup digital signal), or if you have any combination of devices which lets you pickup aerial, cable, or satellite TV signal. This second category could be a computer monitor connected to a sky box itself connected to your Sky access point. But just having the access point in your home definitely doesn’t require a licence.

Harry Palmr

theballz wrote: »

The entire basis of the letter is that i need to pay for something that I do not own. It's ridiculous

Sure it is from your point of view - but as I say they have no idea who you are or your circumstances. It's a machine spitting out a piece of paper.

Cushie Butterfield

They don’t even know if there’s anyone living there at all OP, just put it completely out of your head NOW

K.Flyer

As already said, If you do not have a T.V. you do not need a licence.
If you want, sent the notification back to them with a note saying that there is currently no T.V. apparatus at your address and that if ever one is purchased a licence will be purchased for it and you would prefer no further contact on the matter. Do not give them your name because that gives them a contact to persue and to send a fine or summons to if they do not believe you.

James Brown

On the other hand, them assuming you have the capability and them proving it is another, however you have the laptop, so you are obliged. It's a rip off and unfair, but legal.
Personally I wouldn't pay, because there is no name, therefore they cannot send you a notice to appear or to pay a fine.
I would say the local TV lad was doing his rounds and dropped those letters in any mystery house he passed.

DO NOT:

K.Flyer wrote: »

As already said, If you do not have a T.V. you do not need a licence.
If you want, sent the notification back to them with a note saying that there is currently no T.V. apparatus at your address and that if ever one is purchased a licence will be purchased for it and you would prefer no further contact on the matter. Do not give them your name because that gives them a contact to persue and to send a fine or summons to if they do not believe you.

They'll know someone is there. Someone likely has a smart phone, laptop etc. Someone is aware they have no licence.
Say nothing, act casual.

FizzleSticks

This post has been deleted.

guestwifi

As already stated you don't need a license unless you have equipment in the house capable of displaying a received broadcast, i.e. a tv, a satellite decoder, freeview box, tuner card in PC etc. You don't need one for a laptop (without a tuner card), games console, PC monitor etc, even if you have a dish/aerial on the house.

Been through this with my local inspector many times, the first time he called I'd just moved into the house (owned by family) and wasn't sure if there was a license....he said there wasn't, and that to expect a fine. It arrived a couple of weeks later, with the threat of court action if not paid. I looked into what exactly a license is needed for, and discovered that I had no equipment in my house that I needed one for. Emailed the inspector, he arrived back a few weeks later, checked out my setup (console, laptop and monitor), saw the cables from dish and aerial were hanging loose behind the corner unit, and told me to disregard the fine.

Once in a while I see a slip through the door telling me an inspector had called as they don't have a record of a licence for this address, each time I just email them to say nothing has changed and they're welcome to come back when I'm home for an inspection, never seen them in person again though. Don't pay.

Dial Hard

theballz wrote:

A few of you have mentioned that I would still have to pay if their is simply an aerial on the roof (TV or no TV.)

One person said that and they were wrong.

James Brown

OmegaGene wrote: »

What has a smart phone or laptop got to do with anything ??
These letters come in the post when a licence is no longer at the address
Like I and nearly everyone has said ignore the letter you don’t have a tv so wait for the fella to call to the door and if he manages to find you at home deal with him then

My complete mistake. I recalled Pat Rabbitte talking of a Communications element to the licence, including anything capable of receiving internet etc.

You do not require a television licence to watch television on your computer or mobile phone. However, the computer must not be able to receive a signal distributed by conventional television broadcasting networks, for example, cable, satellite or aerial.
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer_affairs/media/tv_licences.html

muffler

Dial Hard wrote: »

One person said that and they were wrong.

You obviously don't know much about TV licences. Any antenna capable of receiving a signal would require a licence regardless of the presence of a TV

Bob24

muffler wrote: »

You obviously don't know much about TV licences. Any antenna capable of receiving a signal would require a licence regardless of the presence of a TV

This is incorrect. The antenna doesn’t require a licence. What matters is whether you have equipment with a tuner capable of receiving terrestrial, cable, or satellite TV broadcast.

Dr Turk Turkelton

muffler wrote: »

You obviously don't know much about TV licences. Any antenna capable of receiving a signal would require a licence regardless of the presence of a TV

Somewhere there is a barstool missing it's lawyer.