Help! Forgot to pay TV Licence, what happens now?

wrexhamandy

Hoping someone with first-hand experience could help me here.

Right, mum has always paid TV licence before, via card at the Post Office (I believe you can't do this anymore) and been happy doing so. An inspector has just come around and told her it's been unpaid since October 06, mum says she thought it was paid and has had no reminder letter. I can vouch for this, and we've had problems with our address with letters being sent to a similar one so that may well have happened. Mum filled in a form and has now set up a direct debit for it from now on, though the inspector said nothing about paying the oustanding amount and what happens now.

Mum is now petrified at being prosecuted.

Is there anyway to avoid this? I've told her to ring TV Licensing up tomorrow and to explain the situation and offer to pay the outstanding amount immediately. Would they accept this and let this be the end of the matter, or do they prosecute anyway?

I've had a bit of a word to her about keeping on top of money things like this form now on too.

So yes can anyone shed some info for us?

Thanks,
Andy

moonrakerz

Just buy a new licence now. They can't prove you were watching TV in the past - unless you admit to it.

I have been getting all sorts of threatening letters from this bunch over an empty house I am renovating. Apart from all the bluster, all they say is I must buy a licence if I am watching television, it doesn't say I must buy one from when I started watching !

These so-called "inspectors" have no legal powers whatsoever, by the way !

kittiwoz

I think if the inspector got her to fill out a direct-debit form and said nothing about paying the outstanding amount then that is considered to be the matter dealt with. If the licensing authorities wanted to recoup the outstanding money or your mother was in danger of being taken to court then I would think the inspector would have said so.

missile

moonrakerz wrote: »

These so-called "inspectors" have no legal powers whatsoever, by the way !

So if they come calling, you can simply tell them to push off?

wrexhamandy

Right, rang them up and explained all and paid off the outstanding amount so we've paid for the licence now (it's just late!). Guy on the phone seemed confident that it shouldn't be taken further hopefully. Though when mum filled out direct debit mandate (she had already admitted to it unfortunately moonrakerz) for the inspector she put her husband's account details and forged his signature..."I do it all the time"...talk about making your life difficult! :eek:

Missile, if the inspectors get a warrant, from having reasonable grounds for believing you're watching TV without a licence, they have the powers to enter and inspect your equipment (of the TV kind...) using reasonable force to enter, so best not.

Thanks for the replies guys.

missile

wrexhamandy wrote: »

Missile, if the inspectors get a warrant, from having reasonable grounds for believing you're watching TV without a licence, they have the powers to enter and inspect your equipment (of the TV kind...) using reasonable force to enter, so best not..

That is what I thought, hence my question to moonrakerz

moonrakerz

missile wrote: »

So if they come calling, you can simply tell them to push off?

Yes.

If they have reasonable grounds (ie: proof !) to think that you are watching an unlicensed TV (ie: they have been monitoring your premises with a detector van) they have to get a Warrant, they may have to be accompanied by the police as well.

If you are watching an unlicensed TV you deserve all you get, BUT these TV Licensing people behave like the Gestapo, trying to make you think it is an offence not to have a licence regardless of whether you watch TV or not.

You can have 20 TVs in your house, but if you don't watch them you do not need a licence.

Below are some questions put to the BBC under the Freedom Of Information Act - and the answers, which just shows how little power these so called "officers" have !

Question: Could you confirm that a search warrant can only be granted if a magistrate is satisfied that reasonable evidence exists that an offence is being committed, and that a search warrant cannot be granted simply on the basis of non cooperation with BBC TVL?

Reply: TV Licensing does not consider search warrant applications except as a last resort and only then when legal advisors agree that there is good reason to believe that an offence has been committed.

In order to apply for a search warrant TV licensing must have reasonable cause to believe that television equipment is being used for the purpose of viewing or recording television programme services without a current licence of the appropriate type. They may then apply to the local magistrates for a search warrant, who will consider their reasons before giving agreement or otherwise.

A search warrant would never be applied for based solely on non cooperation with TV licencing.

As I said tell them to "go away" - use your own words !!!!

wrexhamandy

Hmmm some good info there, cheers and will know what to do next time, didn't know warrants were so rare.

Strange how I got dozens of letters off them telling me I need one when I'm covered by parents' licence, but the parents don't get one measly reminder letter off them when they're unwittingly nearly a year behind paying.