Urgent help please! Warrant for arrest regarding unpaid monies!!!

Heyman_2

Calm yourself down - read this, especially the bit about cautions:

http://www.televisionlicence.info/tvl/inspectors

The Police are not going to turn up at your door and throw you in the cells because you didn't pay TVL their £40 today! Think about it. Have TVL actually obtained a CCJ against you in any case?

SouthernBellE*

Hi Vixxxen

You poor love, you do sound in a state.

Sorry I can't tell you how quickly or what will happen regarding the warrent. I actually got caught watching a TV in someone else's house (while babysitting). I did write to the court before a fine was imposed explaining the circumstances and thankfully, the fine was only £50.

Try not to get too stressed out tonight (unlikely you'll have police bursting your doors down in the middle of the night). Make your calls in the morning but I'd also advise to contest the amount you've been fined as well as any costs of it going to court when papers were being delivered to the wrong address.

Good luck hun

SB
X

Dreamnine

I wouldn't pay them anything at all.

barbiedoll

Please don't panic about this, have a look at the info here...

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_world/communications/television_licences.htm#what_happens_if_you_do_not_have_a_television_licence

If you get a court summons, the hearing will be at a magistrates court, you will only get arrested if you do not turn up on the actual court date. In any case, you will get at least a week's notice of any impending court hearing, you won't get the coppers at your door to drag you off to the cells tomorrow morning! Call them as soon as you get back from the school run and pay what you can. They will let you pay in instalments if necessary. I would wait to speak to the woman as she will be able to set up the payment plan, unlike the automated system.

vixxxen

Thanks everyone for your replies - unfortunately I didn't get to see them last night, as just after my last message I decided to just have an early night and cross my fingers the police didnt show up.

Didn't get a lot of sleep, as I kept thinking every noise was someone knocking on the door, and this morning have a killer headache from the lack of sleep/stress, but managed to pay them their money so all's well.

The only thing that annoys me, is I'm fairly sure they could have traced me a bit quicker than this; it doesn't take 3 years, surely - I have a couple of debts and they've managed to trace me in a lot less time than that - and seeing as I'm paying my tv license here, surely they could have linked this account with the name on the caution I recieved in 2007?

But anyway, it's all done and dusted now - although now I'm worried I've got a ccj out of it and may have more floating about that I don't know about?

Anyone know how I can find out, as this 'debt' never showed up on my credit reports?

PS - yes, I fully admit that I WAS panicking last night; can't believe I forgot to phone up and pay them after I'd been to the bank especially to put the money in! Duh

vixxxen

Forgot to say; in respose to barbiedoll and heyman - I think the reason I 'owe' £250 and recieved the arrest warrant, is during the 3 years they were writing to me at my former address they took me to court, did that thig where they prove you guilty in your absense, and fined me £200 plus enforcer costs of £50 - from what I've read on the TVL website about the fines and things, these figures seem to add up to what I've been charged - I guess I'm lucky they only fined me £200 and not up to £1000 which apparently they're entitled to.

Obviously, they were writing to me all that time at my old address - saying "we're taking you to court", "you have been fined £250 and now have to pay of face arrest" and of course I was none the wiser.

So technically, I didn't pay a court fine - which is a serious matter, hence me panicking last night!

To whoever said it; I did consider contesting the fine as they were writing to the wrong address; especially as I've been paying for 2 licenses at 2 addresses after the one they were writing to (my current address and where I was living before here), but I doubt I'd get anywhere so won't bother.