TV License Court Summons

cyborgevo

Hello Everyone,

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong section, but here goes.
Back in July my wife and I had a baby and she was kept in hospital for a week after as our baby was premature. On the 2nd day after her giving birth I arrived back home and as approached by a man asking for my wife, I told him she was in hospital and could I help. He told me he was a TV License Inspector or whatever theyare called, cautioned me and then went through his statement. I was fully cooperative with him and didnt realise that we didnt have one, we'd had a few problems leading up to the birth of our baby and so the direct debit for TV License had bounced. Now I realise this is no excuse but at the time explained this to him and he wrote this on his sheet and was quite sympathetic. Also at the time our electricity meter had run out and so I couldnt demonstrate the TV working to him. He accepted his and wrote it on the form. I setup a new license with him and that was that. He told me that I would recieve a letter saying wether I would be taken to court or not.
Anyway, I got a letter saying that no futher action would be taken and I thought that was that. Now today Ihave recieved a letter summons for me to attend court or having no TVlicense on the date and am un sure what to do. I dont know if I have the letter anywhere as I assumed it was the end of the story and so chances are have binned it. I am going to look for it though. Im happy to plead guilty and accept the fine but dont want it to show on a criminal record as I require a clean CRBfor work!
Should I contact TV License themselves or just attend court plead guilty and explain the above?
He also wrote on the form (which I dont know if I have a copy) that the electric was off to the property was off but Cbeebies was on? Hes worded it "Electric power went off just as set was switched on, cbeebies was on"
Sort of contrdicts itself?
Anyway some advice please!!!
Oh just a side note, I kept up regular payments until Sept when me and my wife decided to split and all of the bills were transfered to her name, she has since taken out a TV License and payed it. The only thing I can think is they have decided to prosecute becuase I stopped paying?

Im really worried and have a lot going on as Im sure you can imagine! Last thing I need is my job being jeperdised for not having a TVlic!

Ectophile

There's a risk that you've dropped yourself in it by what you have said. If you had just said "I can't watch TV because the electricity is off" and then slammed the door in their face, then there's little they could have done.

I would now suggest getting proper legal advice from a proper lawyer. Your position depends on exactly what you said and what they wrote down.

societys_child

TV License Inspector

Biggest con merchants out there.

giraffe69

So someone doesn't pay their licence fee, watches TV live and those who want to collect are "con merchants". Must be a new definition.

societys_child

You've not read all the cases where the "accused" had done nothing wrong and the "inspector" had agreed, but asked them to "just sign here to show I've spoken to you today" . . . next thing there's a summons in the post . . yes, many are lying cheating scum . I have always had a license btw.

OlliesDad

Give them a call, this seems to happen quite often when the name on the license changes.

They quite often cancel the court action if you can show you do have a valid license.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

The Crapita goons aka BBC Tax Collectors speak to me by way of the term. The Legal occupier.
TV TAX Free

giraffe69

just sign here to show I've spoken to you today

Perhaps reading before you sign might be recommended?

societys_child

giraffe69 wrote: »

Perhaps reading before you sign might be recommended?

Oh aren't you the cleaver one . .

I would never sign anything at the door or for that matter anything before reading it.

Unfortunately these so called inspectors pretend to have all kinds of authority (which they don't have) and we know some people are easily conned. If you think that's ok your as bad as they are!

This in my view makes them con men . . .

spacey2012

I can settle this.
Did you sign a TVL 178 form.
If the answer is yes, you have signed a confession of your guilt and you will be found guilty at the court.
You are wasting your time and breath arguing and will just get a much bigger fine.

All you can do if you signed the confession is learn never to sign anything else confesing to a criminal act ever again .
Once you sign in front of a witness under caution you are guilty and that is the end of the matter other than having a jolly good rant.

societys_child

This ^^^ is true.