Court Summons for no TV licience

mumx3

My daughter received a voice mail on Saturday morning asking her to telephone the courts regarding a court summons for no TV licience?
She was a student living in Surrey up until June when she moved back home to Devon.

Supposedly she had been sent paperwork and court summons to her old surrey address the last one being 4th October, and so she knew nothing about the suitation at all until the voice mail.

She had a visit back in March at the surrey house regarding a TV licience, at the time the house had no licience as the flatmates had only just moved back in during February and not had a TV until the end of Feb, this she told the guy at the door, anyway she set up a DD at the door with the guy to start from March, and thought no more of it, she had a letter sent on 20th march thanking her for the DD set up and no further action would be taken.

Apparently she is being taken to court for non payment of 1 months fee which was FEB to March, but they had no TV until the end of FEb this she told the guy at the door.

So to cut a long story short she has to go to court and make Statutory Declaration stating she knew nothing of the summons that was issued, which she didn't as she had left the property.

Also she rang the TV licience people this morning as and far as they are concerns she owes them nothing and they had no idea what the summons was about??

Please can anyone offer advice as we are all starting to panic and worry as to what all this means for the short and long term, will this court hearing leave a black mark against her?

It really does seem a waste of courts time as no one seems to know what the other is doing, the TV licience have no idea what the summons people who we think are CAPITA are doing and no one can stop what is happening.

earthstorm

are you sure the telephone licence people phoned as i am sure they wont call by phone.

If you have a court summons then you will have a ref number. i suggest calling your local court and see if its real or a scam

mumx3

earthstorm wrote: »

are you sure the telephone licence people phoned as i am sure they wont call by phone.

If you have a court summons then you will have a ref number. i suggest calling your local court and see if its real or a scam

Sorry if I did not make it clear, the voice mail was from the courts asking her to phone. She does had a ref number which they gave her when she rang this morning.

earthstorm

mumx3 wrote: »

Sorry if I did not make it clear, the voice mail was from the courts asking her to phone. She does had a ref number which they gave her when she rang this morning.

Well she needs to call the courts to see exactly who the summons is for and explain to them that TVL has not started this as you owe them nothing and then get in touch with TVL and ask them to confirm that you owe nothing in writing, then you can produce this to the courts.

mttylad

She must make it clear that although they had a TV in Feb that they did not use it to watch TV as it was broadcast.

If she said anything different at the door then she should retract what she said and explain that she was confused then.
Get her flatmates to confirm this (give them the nudge).

oneye14

mumx3 wrote: »

Sorry if I did not make it clear, the voice mail was from the courts asking her to phone. She does had a ref number which they gave her when she rang this morning.

You may find the Court is contacting you because they believe it is a waste of time too - and their time is expensive. You need to find if they have judged against you in your absence because if they have the judgement is automatically voided. If not you can suggest the claimant is being frivolous.

mumx3

mttylad wrote: »

She must make it clear that although they had a TV in Feb that they did not use it to watch TV as it was broadcast.

If she said anything different at the door then she should retract what she said and explain that she was confused then.
Get her flatmates to confirm this (give them the nudge).

The TV arrived back at the house on 26th Feb along with the house mate that brought it back, she is very happy to confirm if needed.

oneye14 wrote: »

You may find the Court is contacting you because they believe it is a waste of time too - and their time is expensive. You need to find if they have judged against you in your absence because if they have the judgement is automatically voided. If not you can suggest the claimant is being frivolous.

As far as we know a judgment was made but we have no idea as to what it was?
We are going to court next week to make a statutory declaration which we have been advised to do and we hope that will be the end of it, I still find it unbelievable how something so serious to someone can be done without their knowledge?

pmduk

mumx3 wrote: »

I still find it unbelievable how something so serious to someone can be done without their knowledge?

It isn't a nice situation, but realistically, what more could they have done? Your daughter moved without arranging forwarding of her mail. These prosecutions are rather like a conveyor belt, with little time or effort spent on each one.

mumx3

pmduk wrote: »

It isn't a nice situation, but realistically, what more could they have done? Your daughter moved without arranging forwarding of her mail. These prosecutions are rather like a conveyor belt, with little time or effort spent on each one.

I'm assuming there were a few letters sent to her? I would of thought that maybe after not receiving a reply they might of asked for a signature? they also had her mobile number which she was silly enough to give to the guy at the door, they could of rang, like the courts did eventually, just assuming that threatening letters have arrived and been opened is just not good enough, to then take someone to court and prosecute them.

wealdroam

mumx3 wrote: »

I would of thought that maybe after not receiving a reply they might of asked for a signature?

On your other thread you were advised that it often doesn't work.

See this post:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/63628528#Comment_63628528

mumx3 wrote: »

...just assuming that threatening letters have arrived and been opened is just not good enough, to then take someone to court and prosecute them.

In that very same post mentioned above it was also explained that it is good enough.


See the problem of having two threads going?