no tv but being taken to court

ex-homelessdude2

hi

been a mse-er since 2008...account got deleted for some reason.:money:

i keep getting threatening letters from the tv licenseing ppl and even now theyre saying theyre taking me to court.

i moved into the property just over a year ago...i havent owned a tv since the 2oth centuary....i have a laptop and very slow net connection and watch eastenders about 11 oclock at night (wouldnt be able to watch liveeven if wanted to) and theyve been sending threatening letters to somebody called 'the legal occupier' ever since i moved in. i didnt like their bullying methods so didnt get in touch with them to tell them i dont have tv as theyre not a goverment institution.

now i understand i dont need a license if i dont have the abilty to watch live tv...where do i stand with the net connection? also is it possible for them to actually take me to court for not getting in touch with them....also i thought the fact they dont have my name mean they couldnt?

im guessing innocent til proven guilty has no bearing with tv license.

thanks for any help

Kurtis_Blue

1. I would suggest deleting the first line of your post.

2. Are they saying they are taking you too court with a court date and a summons. Or do your letters just state that if you need a TVL and do not have one they have the power to take you to court?

If the letters are not addressed to you personally I would suggest the latter.

ex-homelessdude2

1. i just meant im not a newbie....prob got deleted due to not signing in long time

2.no notice of legal proceeding but a few letters saying 'we want to ensure you have the info you might need before hearing date is set'

Kurtis_Blue

Its just an automatic letter, you are not going to court, disgustingly worded but harmless.
Your choice, ignore or tell them you don't need one and to stop.

pogofish

If its the standard "court threat" to the legal occupier, then TVL don't actually have your details and this is little more than a chain letter/phishing exercise off their database, so the chances of them taking further action are negligible so long as you don't engage them or provide any info to confirm your identity.

Back when I didn't have a TV and got a load of hassle off them, I was getting both - letters to "the occupier" and letters addressed to me, with my name spelled wrong and follow-up visits/harrassment from the local team, even though I'd already demonstrated my not needing a license. Nothing came of it after I complained via my MP - They shut-up for a couple of years but had started again, just before I moved to my current address and got a TV again.

ex-homelessdude2

thanks curtis thats exactly the letter i got...word slightly different.
pogofish yeh thats the problem i know the moment i phone up to explain i dont have any equipment they will need my name and then the hassle will get 10x worse,

what is the legal stance on me having an internet connection(abilty to watch live but choose not too)? theres seems to be alot of myths out their in regard to this and rules seem to always change in order to trick ppl into buying a license.

mije1983

From the TV Licensing site:

If you only watch catch-up services online, then you don’t need a licence. For example, you don’t need one to use BBC iPlayer, or ITV player, to catch up on programmes after they have been shown on TV.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/technology--devices-and-online-top8

Mojisola

ex-homelessdude2 wrote: »

i know the moment i phone up to explain i dont have any equipment they will need my name and then the hassle will get 10x worse,

That's not been my experience. I've had to contact them about two different properties and my letters telling them that there wasn't a TV at either address was followed by a reply saying "tell us if that changes" with no follow-ups at all.

ex-homelessdude2

oh maybe give it go and phone them them....cheers everyone

pogofish

Mojisola wrote: »

That's not been my experience. I've had to contact them about two different properties and my letters telling them that there wasn't a TV at either address was followed by a reply saying "tell us if that changes" with no follow-ups at all.

Its been a while since I had my bother certainly but all that did for me was stop them for a couple of months before they started the whole rigmarole all over again.

And that's when the local enforcement team got-in on the act and their only goal was to browbeat a payment out of me no matter what!

spacey2012

In order to take someone to court for no TV licence they need two things.
Your name and you to confirm that name to them.
Some evidence, they have a "form" called a TVL 178 that is basically a signed confession to admitting watching TV without a licence with your name and signature upon it.
The Best way to avoid them getting this is to shut the door and ignore them.