TV Licence Court Summons

Oboif

Any help would be greatly apprectiated...

My flatmate has been summoned to "Petty Sessions Court" for us not having a TV licence when the inspector came round to our house.

We had a TV licence all of the previous year (2013-2014) and the tenant who paid for it moved out in July and cancelled it. Then the new tenant moved in, and after a week of being moved in the inpector came round to check the TV licence.

There was a period of maybe up to a month where we didn't have a TV licence. Plus, the inspector said the matter wouldn't go any further and also didn't put the TV on to check that it worked. It's frustrating as there are (probably) hundreds of student houses in the area that don't have TV licences at all and now we are getting punished for a small period where we didn't have one.

Should we ring the TV licence people? Go to court? Plead guilty?
They should really teach you these things in school...

Collabora

Well you were caught without a TV licence and the inspector may of said it wont go further, but the decision would not be his to make. why should a school teach you that you need a TV licence to have a TV, you knew the other one was cancelled but chose not to get you own. you will need to goto court and plead guilty

geoffken

what about personal responsibility for this.
How is it the schools fault?
If you are deemed intelligent enough to go to Uni then it should not be too hard.
Do they teach you to pay your gas electric etc.
why should TV be any different

littleboo

You haven't said if you've been watching live TV while you haven't had a licence.

Cuilean

If you can deal with it before it gets to court, do so. Our local paper publishes a list of people who've been to court for not having a TV license, and I know that paper is available online, and Google-able for anyone (Future employers included) who pops that person's name into a search engine.

JJ_Egan

I agree you should be taught the basics of life at school .
How to put on your socks etc .

Marktheshark

He / she will have been given a form called a tvl 178 to sign.
I he/ she signed this form they will be found guilty, the court will be a sheep dip affair with dozens through in less than 45 minutes.

Swipe

Let's be clear on this and let this be a warning to others... He was not a TV inspector but rather a salesman after his £20 commission for getting a successful prosecution. If you had just closed the door on him there would be no summons.

BobQ

So basically you did not have a licence until challenged and you went out and bought one when they pointed it out?

You could plead not guilty and see what they do, since they need evidence to support a prosecution. If they find you guilty based on evidence after pleading not guilty you would probably face costs as well.

But your only defence would be that you did not have a TV for that month and only got a licence when you did.

Your comments about school are silly! I doubt it will affect your employment prospects

Oboif

The line about school was meant to be a joke. Obviously it's hard to convey tone but I'm sure no-one would know exactly what to do with a court summons when they were 20... There was no need to be condescending about it.

As I've said the person who paid it left. Me and my other flat mate live in England so weren't there over the summer. The new flat mate moved in and then the inspector came round. I wouldnt think anyone's first thought when moving in somewhere would be the tv licence. We have had one all of the time we've been at university so it's not like we were challenged and then thought to get one.
Thank you for being entirely unhelpful and, quite frankly, mean.

The_Economist

Oboif wrote: »

The line about school was meant to be a joke. Obviously it's hard to convey tone but I'm sure no-one would know exactly what to do with a court summons when they were 20... There was no need to be condescending about it.

As I've said the person who paid it left. Me and my other flat mate live in England so weren't there over the summer. The new flat mate moved in and then the inspector came round. I wouldnt think anyone's first thought when moving in somewhere would be the tv licence. We have had one all of the time we've been at university so it's not like we were challenged and then thought to get one.
Thank you for being entirely unhelpful and, quite frankly, mean.

I think you have a valid point about being taught at school about paying a TV licence. That also goes for other things that need to be paid that we have no control over like gas, electric, insurances, the list goes on.

That way maybe the poor will get richer and the rich will be brought down to earth!