TV Licence Court Threat

alibean121

I've recently moved into a new property and a few days later received a letter from TV licencing. Normally I ignore them but this one seems more threatening than normal...

It says:

"You have not responded to our previous letters. We want to ensure you have the information you need before a hearing is set at your local court.

Please read the information below carefully and keep if for your records. You will be allowed to take it into court with you"

Then there's some information about being taken to court etc.

It's only addressed to "The legal occupier". Am i right in thinking that they can't take the occupier to court? If I contact them to say I don't need a licence, am I only giving them a name for their court papers?

I normally file these under B for bin as I don't own or watch tv hence don't have a licence but I could live without having to defend stupid court actions. I know the previous occupier was using a tv from when I viewed and have no idea whether they have evidence from visits etc.

Can I just fling this in the bin and forget about it?

Moneymaker

I would personally ignore it. Life's too short. Don't play by their rules. They don't have your name so they can do nothing.

Swipe

Nothing to worry about. It's just another one of their computer generated garbage threatograms and can safely be ignored, just like all the others.

rubyrose

If you want them to stop however there should be an online form to let them know you don't have a TV. It'll stop you getting letters and relieve some worry? May be worth a couple of minutes online to fix

Norman_Castle

Can I just fling this in the bin and forget about it?

No. Put it in the recycling box and forget about it.

Swipe

rubyrose wrote: »

If you want them to stop however there should be an online form to let them know you don't have a TV. It'll stop you getting letters and relieve some worry? May be worth a couple of minutes online to fix

I'd rather the letters still arrive (and bin them unopened) than TV Licensing having a name for the property. That way, no shenanigans can ever take place. There are way too many horror stories out there for legally licence free people to be handing over their details to them.

Mav6215

We got similar letters when we moved into a brand new property in 2006. I rang and said we do not have any equipment that can receive live broadcast channels.

Never heard any more from them until I was given an old CRT almost three years later and rang to set up a DD for a licence.

silverwhistle

Same thing happened to me when I moved into my property. To show willing I went onto their site to tell them, but as they wanted name and email and/or phone I thought 'sod that'. I recycle the letters as firelighters.

They have actually visited, but althougth I was in that day they failed to show enough initiative to ring the bell, so I didn't hear them. They left another firelighter.

Cornucopia

alibean121 wrote: »

It's only addressed to "The legal occupier". Am i right in thinking that they can't take the occupier to court?

Yes.


The other option on this is to fill in their online form with a fake name. This is not illegal, and has the advantages of:

(a) providing a ready means of identifying them if/when they call at the door and do not identify themselves, ("Are you Mrs. Slocombe? I'm looking for Mrs. Slocombe")

(b) ensuring that even if a rogue salesperson tried to create a false statement, it would not be valid,

(c) using their own data protection rules to disrupt their doorstep patter, ("I can only speak with Mrs. Slocombe about this matter").

(d) generally messing them about (as they so richly deserve).

The OP's letter is a standard letter, sent millions of times a year to innocent (or presumed innocent) households. Here it is in the TVL Letters Hall of Shame:

http://www.bbctvlicence.com/ (March 2014)

I would suggest complaining about it to the BBC's Head of Revenue Management, your MP and/or the Perry Review.

enfield_freddy

visit from one the other day , told him (self employed by the way?) that I did not watch live TV , he ticked his box on the machine , and asked for my name


"T Occupier" I said , he remarked that I had a large family local to the area , and smiled

skintpaul

They may be chasing the previous owner / tenant.


Did you advise tvl (if had a licence!) that you were moving?