TV license summons

shaun949 · 10-05-2013 4:41pm #1

Hi,

I'm in need of some advice. Bit of a strange situation.

I got a leaflet in my door saying I had missed the post man and there was a registered letter to collect. The letter was addressed to my girlfriend who doesn't live with me. I gave her the leaflet and we went to collect the letter.

Turns out it is a summons to court for not having a TV license at my address. I read through the letter and they claim to have called at a time we had someone staying at our house.

Turns out she (the person staying with us) answered the door to the inspector. She said her name was my girlfriends name and said that she didn't live there. The letter we got states that the girl who answered the door "identified him/herself to them as being the occupier of the dwelling." This is not the case.

We got no letters or notifications from the time they said they called until this summons. I rang up the solicitors office that the letter came from and they gave me a name and a number of someone at An Post that deals with this and suggested I ring him.

I explained my case to this man (An Post) and he told me that it doesn't matter who answered the door or what name they gave, that the person who answers the door gets prosecuted. I asked if it had been, for example, an electrician doing work at my home and he answered the door would he have to go to court and he told me yes he would. I find this very hard to believe.. He told me the only other option is to pay an €80 strike out fee,

I am about to go out and buy my TV license, but does my girlfriend really have to go to court for this?

Any information/advice would be really appreciated.

ResearchWill · 10-05-2013 4:44pm

Your girlfriend has been summoned to Court, so she must turn up if she does not she risks a finding of guilt and a fine.

ebbsy · 10-05-2013 4:44pm

I was in the same situation, got a licence and sent it off to the regional office, asking them for it to be struck out. It was.

SB2013 · 10-05-2013 4:45pm

shaun949 wrote: »

Hi,

I'm in need of some advice. Bit of a strange situation.

I got a leaflet in my door saying I had missed the post man and there was a registered letter to collect. The letter was addressed to my girlfriend who doesn't live with me. I gave her the leaflet and we went to collect the letter.

Turns out it is a summons to court for not having a TV license at my address. I read through the letter and they claim to have called at a time we had someone staying at our house.

Turns out she (the person staying with us) answered the door to the inspector. She said her name was my girlfriends name and said that she didn't live there. The letter we got states that the girl who answered the door "identified him/herself to them as being the occupier of the dwelling." This is not the case.

We got no letters or notifications from the time they said they called until this summons. I rang up the solicitors office that the letter came from and they gave me a name and a number of someone at An Post that deals with this and suggested I ring him.

I explained my case to this man (An Post) and he told me that it doesn't matter who answered the door or what name they gave, that the person who answers the door gets prosecuted. I asked if it had been, for example, an electrician doing work at my home and he answered the door would he have to go to court and he told me yes he would. I find this very hard to believe.. He told me the only other option is to pay an €80 strike out fee,

I am about to go out and buy my TV license, but does my girlfriend really have to go to court for this?

Any information/advice would be really appreciated.

Yes. She has been summonsed. If she doesn't arrive she may have a warrant issued for her arrest.

shaun949 · 10-05-2013 5:33pm

Thanks for your replies.

ebbsy wrote: »

I was in the same situation, got a licence and sent it off to the regional office, asking them for it to be struck out. It was.

Did you have to pay for it to be to be struck out?

Arciphel · 10-05-2013 5:37pm

Why don't you have a TV licence?

Realt Dearg Sec · 10-05-2013 5:39pm

Arciphel wrote: »

Why don't you have a TV licence?

Because Ryan tubridy.

Dicky Pride · 10-05-2013 5:39pm

Arciphel wrote: »

Why don't you have a TV licence?

How is that any of your business?

shaun949 · 10-05-2013 5:42pm

I live in a rented house and it was just after we moved in that we got this call. Didn't come to mind to get one until getting this letter.

Arciphel · 10-05-2013 5:45pm

Then if you get one now it will be struck out as you can show you only just moved in. You'll have no problems there. Is it possible they might have called to your current house in the past and the previous occupants might have been less than co-operative to the licence inspectors?

Arciphel · 10-05-2013 5:45pm

And no, it won't cost you anything to have it struck out.

Aced_Up · 10-05-2013 5:46pm

Arciphel wrote: »

Why don't you have a TV licence?

Why would you have a TV licence?

Personally, Its something I totally disagree with...

Arciphel · 10-05-2013 5:47pm

Dicky Pride wrote: »

How is that any of your business?

It's pretty relevant to the discussion actually. But don't let that get in the way of your edgy anti-establishment coolness.

shaun949 · 10-05-2013 5:48pm

That's very possible as I'm sure is the case moving in to any rented property.

It was November they called, now being May they are saying we've had ample warnings (which we have not) and time to have got it sorted. Do you think we will still have to pay this "Strike out fee"? I heard no one has the right to ask for these fees other than a judge..

Arciphel · 10-05-2013 5:50pm

I reckon if you buy the licence that that will be the end of it.

shaun949 · 10-05-2013 5:54pm

I hope so, thanks for your advice.

Has any one else been in a similar situation, that can verify this?

Last thing I want is cops calling to the door to arrest someone who doesn't live here!

Paulw · 10-05-2013 5:59pm

Aced_Up wrote: »

Why would you have a TV licence?

Probably because it's a legal requirement if you have a device capable of receiving a signal. :rolleyes:

shaun949 · 10-05-2013 6:02pm

Can we get off the whole should we should we not get TV licenses please. Not really helping. I'm sure there is a thread around here somewhere regarding that.

Thanks.

Aced_Up · 10-05-2013 6:10pm

Paulw wrote: »

Probably because it's a legal requirement if you have a device capable of receiving a signal. :rolleyes:

No **** sherlock

Wils110 · 10-05-2013 6:14pm

If your summonsed you have to go..go to court €90 quid fine don't go €350 fine...we couldn't make court as baby was in hospital so the latter happened anyone who was there got the 90 quid fine

Theirs no warrant for your arrest unless you don't pay the court fine

Bigcheeze · 11-05-2013 9:41am

You want legal advice? Never, ever collect registered letters. Good news does not get sent by registered letter.

Wils110 · 11-05-2013 10:23am

Legal advice....here comes the ban ;-)

Schnitzel Muncher · 11-05-2013 10:29am

I read through half of the original post, I suspect I know the answer, but here goes. Do you have a TV licence?

Schnitzel Muncher · 11-05-2013 10:31am

Dicky Pride wrote: »

How is that any of your business?

How is it any of your business?

shaun949 · 11-05-2013 8:29pm

Schnitzel Muncher wrote: »

I read through half of the original post, I suspect I know the answer, but here goes. Do you have a TV licence?

I do now. Didn't when they called the first time.

Willbbz · 12-05-2013 6:38pm

Got the same letter today. Live with my parents. Don't own a TV set personally. I only answered the door and now it's asking me to pay for the license or be summoned to court.

Load of bollocks

billy few mates · 12-05-2013 7:46pm

Willbbz wrote: »

Got the same letter today. Live with my parents. Don't own a TV set personally. I only answered the door and now it's asking me to pay for the license or be summoned to court.

Load of bollocks

:eek::eek:

You can't say bollocks on here....

LowKeyReturn · 12-05-2013 7:58pm

cunnifferous · 18-06-2013 11:37am

Just gonna bump this because I'm in a similar situation at the moment. Just wondering what the OP ended up doing in the end.

shaun949 · 18-06-2013 1:54pm

Best advice I've got is just buy the license then ring them up and tell them you have one. They will ask for some reference number and that should be it.

cunnifferous · 18-06-2013 2:02pm

Had to call down to the TV licence office. Had to pay 290 euro in total. 160 for a new TV licence + 130 for a licence from Sempember (when the inspector called out originally) to now. Guess It could have been worse, but still doesn't feel great.

ellinguistico · 18-06-2013 8:15pm

cunnifferous wrote: »

Had to call down to the TV licence office. Had to pay 290 euro in total. 160 for a new TV licence + 130 for a licence from Sempember (when the inspector called out originally) to now. Guess It could have been worse, but still doesn't feel great.

That's harsh, was there any way they would let you stagger the payment?

paulztag · 16-12-2013 2:15pm

Just got one of these nice letters telling me about going to court in Jan now.

What is the easiest way out? I know I need to buy one now but can I buy a new one online and ring them to tell them I have one or do I need to backdate it?

There has never been any licence in the house as its a new house that we moved into a year and a half ago.

Paulw · 16-12-2013 4:48pm

paulztag wrote: »

Just got one of these nice letters telling me about going to court in Jan now.

What is the easiest way out?

So you've been summonsed to court in Jan?

Way out?? The way out is to have a license from the start.

You need to buy a TV license, and also show up in court on the date listed in the summons.

picturehangup · 15-12-2018 1:36pm

Interesting one.
We (family) moved to rented accommodation recently, had a license, purchased not long after we moved in. TV inspector arrived when my hubbie and I were out.
Our son aged 22, and suffers from autism, answered the door. He told inspector we were out, and to come back, as he did not know where we kept the license. Inspector should have known my son had issues, and should have asked our names. Inspector then proceeded with issuing a very threatening letter addressed to my son, received a few days later, which knocked us for six. I feel this was a very heavy-handed and unnecessary, causing us all some distress, considering we did actually have a license. We felt intimidated and that this inspector took advantage of our incapacitated son at the time. Any thoughts on this? We have always complied with the law all of our lives, and had everything in order.
We are very, very angry. Did complain to a supervisor, but he was very dismissive of our complaint, and refused to engage with the points I had raised in an email.

tphase · 15-12-2018 2:02pm

you do realise this is 5 year old thread?

picturehangup · 15-12-2018 6:59pm

Hi tphase, yes I do realise that.
But the TV licence will always be there, and folk will always have some issues with it.

splinter65 · 15-12-2018 7:07pm

picturehangup wrote: »

Hi tphase, yes I do realise that.
But the TV licence will always be there, and folk will always have some issues with it.

Emailing or phoning is no good. You need to write to the supervisor and include a copy of the tv license which will show the date of purchase and question first of all why the inspector did not know that you had purchased a license and secondly why the inspector had not been trained to identify householders with special needs. Complain about the aggressive tone of the letter and ask to be responded to in 10 working days.
Ultimately you can take thus to the Ombudsman

893bet · 15-12-2018 7:20pm

picturehangup wrote: »

Interesting one.
We (family) moved to rented accommodation recently, had a license, purchased not long after we moved in. TV inspector arrived when my hubbie and I were out.
Our son aged 22, and suffers from autism, answered the door. He told inspector we were out, and to come back, as he did not know where we kept the license. Inspector should have known my son had issues, and should have asked our names. Inspector then proceeded with issuing a very threatening letter addressed to my son, received a few days later, which knocked us for six. I feel this was a very heavy-handed and unnecessary, causing us all some distress, considering we did actually have a license. We felt intimidated and that this inspector took advantage of our incapacitated son at the time. Any thoughts on this? We have always complied with the law all of our lives, and had everything in order.
We are very, very angry. Did complain to a supervisor, but he was very dismissive of our complaint, and refused to engage with the points I had raised in an email.

Your son is 22 and an adult and was treated as such. What advantage was taken of your son exactly?

The threatening letter is I am sure a template sent to thousands. Don’t imagine it was personal.

Move on.

tedpan · 15-12-2018 9:13pm

picturehangup wrote:

Hi tphase, yes I do realise that. But the TV licence will always be there, and folk will always have some issues with it.

I'd produce the TV license, then put in a letter of complaint if you feel your son was treated unfairly.

Duffryman · 16-12-2018 12:03am

What did the letter say? Did it basically just ask you to show proof of having a licence within a certain time, since the inspector couldn't see it when he/she called?

If so, I don't understand your issue with it. Inspector calls to a door, is met by an adult who says I can't produce a licence, and then issues a letter (which I'm sure is a template) to ask to see proof of a licence before any further action becomes necessary. Would seem pretty standard to me.

robwen · 16-12-2018 12:20am

What happens if the person who opens the door is not the homeowner, so refuses to give a name & closes the door on the inspector

splinter65 · 16-12-2018 1:35am

robwen wrote: »

What happens if the person who opens the door is not the homeowner, so refuses to give a name & closes the door on the inspector

Then they just send the letter to “the occupier”.

shaun949 · 16-12-2018 2:56am

6 years later. I still await the return of my precious woman. I can not believe she has been imprisoned for this long for such a simple thing...

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TV license summons

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