TV Licence Court Summons Help Please

Marktheshark

mejjo203 wrote: »

If i plead guilty as you suggest, am i likely to be fined more than £145?

The other option i have is to pay £145 for a full licence and they will withdraw the court action.

What happened last time you trusted what they told you ?
No they will not withdraw the court case, certainly never heard of it done.

What I would do is buy a licence anyway before they turn up again, or you will be going to court again.

This "Licence Dodging" stuff requires some serious snout and facing up to authority skills, it sounds like this is not very you from what has occurred so far .

Go to court, plead guilty and come out a a couple of hundred quid up on arguing.

mejjo203

It just really angers me that i've got to pay out for something i shouldn't need to, All because the enforcement officer has put down things on the paperwork.

I spoke to TV Licencing twice and they said they would withdraw it if i pay for a full licence, It does worry me now that you might be right and it could just be a lie.

JJ_Egan

Key points do you watch or record any tv live broadcasts on any equipment .Streamed or from outide the UK is counted .
If you do not then challenge them as that's what the TV Licence Guide actually says .

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when an enforcement officer found me to be watching live tv without a valid licence>>>> Is this true ??? Its a key question for the court .



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However, do you actually own a TV that is connected to an aerial? If you do, then as I understand it, you do need a licence, whether or not you actually watch live TV.


It does not say that on the official guide .

fatbelly

I have heard of the court not issuing a fine if a valid licence has been bought but (a) that was a few years ago and attitudes have hardened and (b) that would not be a decision for TVL to make.

Buzby

being connected to an aerial is an irrelevance, it is having the capability to view that opens the risk as you could stream live to the screen and still be successfully prosecuted. The legislation is stipulated within the Communications Act 2000, nothing else is relevant.

Cornucopia

Statistics from the BBC show that they only prosecute around half of the people they "catch". A large number of cases are also withdrawn right up to the Court hearing.

Two guesses how they decide which half? Yes, buying a licence is a big part of it. It's not a guarantee by any means, though.

TVL is a big, complex organisation. The staff at HQ are more trustworthy and often much easier to deal with than the Field Staff.

On the balance of what has been said in this thread and the similar one on another forum, I would still say that the best option is to buy a Licence and then cancel it once 6 months has elapsed from the date of the alleged offence. I suspect that the TVL people are lying when they talk about requiring payment in full, as I've personally heard cases adjourned in Court for payment records to be checked over time (this was a couple of years ago, though).

However, if you do buy a licence, ask them to put the withdrawal of the summons in writing. This could then be presented in Court, if the case went ahead anyway. (You could present the existing letter you have, too, but buying a licence plays well with the Magistrates).

There is an issue for legally licence free people using Sky and Virgin boxes - these boxes in their standard configuration are receiving and sometimes recording TV whenever they are switched on (and sometimes when switched off, too). I would highly recommend that people who want to be legally licence free do not have Sky or Virgin boxes, and do not have pay-TV subscriptions, either. It's not like there aren't plenty of cheaper and less compromised solutions out there.

jaibaby

Pyxis wrote: »

However, do you actually own a TV that is connected to an aerial? If you do, then as I understand it, you do need a licence, whether or not you actually watch live TV.

Wrong! You DO NOT need a licence just because you COULD watch live tv - you only need a licence if you DO watch live tv! The officers may tell you that but that will be because they earn commission off each person they "catch" without a licence.

Forex_Fred

My licence is due this month. All I watch is IPlayer, YouTube and other catch up services and use it for my PS3 for FIFA etc. The ariel is connected. I also listen to BBC channels on the Radio or through the TV. Do I need a licence? I also use it for watching boxed sets.

Ta

Marktheshark

The question of do you need a licence is a separate one to will I end up in court getting fined.
You need a large amount of front and knowledge to not end up in court.

They even caught one of the ring leaders out via a search warrant.
They turned up, wired his telly up whilst he filmed them and put BBC on.
Ah but he shouts, you have done that, yes and you are stood their right in front of us watching it and filming the evidence,take it thats a BBC live broadcast is it not sir. Licence please, see you at court "clever lad" and off they went.

Even the "experts" get it wrong.

Cornucopia

Marktheshark wrote: »

The question of do you need a licence is a separate one to will I end up in court getting fined.
You need a large amount of front and knowledge to not end up in court.

They even caught one of the ring leaders out via a search warrant.

You seem unduly fixated on the notion of anti-Licence Fee campaigners. It is a legitimate if niche topic of public interest - what is your problem if some people want to spend some time campaigning and helping others like the OP who have fallen foul of this ludicrous system?

They turned up, wired his telly up whilst he filmed them and put BBC on.

No they didn't.

... Ah but he shouts, you have done that, yes and you are stood their right in front of us watching it and filming the evidence,take it thats a BBC live broadcast is it not sir. Licence please, see you at court "clever lad" and off they went.

Even the "experts" get it wrong.

I told you that he was found innocent on appeal only a couple of weeks ago - is your memory really that poor?

Here is the story in the local paper.

http://www.thurrockgazette.co.uk/news/9867463.Man_wins_TV_licence_battle/