TV license fine

L007x

Hey guys I'm new to this site but really need some advice.
A few months ago I received a court summons for TV license for my old address. I responded sent back a guilty plea & filled in my income details. I waited and have heard nothing back since. I have now received a letter from Marston saying I need to pay £500. I have heard nothing back from the courts for months! Do you think the letter went to my old address? But they sent the summons to my new one & I supplied my new details on it? I would've gladly & still can pay the original fine but I cannot afford to pay Marston £500! What should I do? I've sent emails to the court but as its weekend have heard nothing. Marston have put my account on hold for 7days. I'm just so confused and stressed. I can't sleep and have a 3 year old to look after & I'm currently nearly 6months pregnant too. I just need help?
Thank you x

fatbelly

Work out what you can afford and offer it. I suspect Marstons have applied the £75 fee but not yet the £235 fee so there is still time to avoid this if they accept your offer.

If you're a single mum and pregnant make sure they know this as there is a Regulation 12 which says if a bailiff makes a personal visit (and so incurs the enforcement fee of £235) he should give a vulnerable individual a chance to seek advice prior to removal of goods. If he fails to do so the ‘enforcement fee’ of £235 is not recoverable.

TV licence debt is very tricky - it's ridiculous how this is seen as a serious criminal matter. Normal guidance about forced entry does not apply and it can't be written off by insolvency.

Herbie21

L007x wrote: »

Hey guys I'm new to this site but really need some advice.

A few months ago I received a court summons for TV license for my old address. I responded sent back a guilty plea & filled in my income details. I waited and have heard nothing back since.

I have now received a letter from Marston saying I need to pay £500. I have heard nothing back from the courts for months! Do you think the letter went to my old address? But they sent the summons to my new one & I supplied my new details on it?

Depending on what notice you have received from Marston's (Notice of Enforcement or Removal Notice), I would suspect that what has happened is that your 'guilty plea' has either not been received or not been taken into consideration (possible because it had been sent late).

Once a fine is imposed, you should have been sent a Notice of Fine & Collection Order by the court outlining the amount of fine, prosecution costs and victim surcharge. If payment is not made, then HMCTS must send you a FINAL notice called a Further Steps Notice. This notice would warn you of the steps that will be taken unless the amount due is paid. The most common 'step' is to issue a warrant of control.

As you had not received either of these two notices, I suspect that these were sent to your previous address.

You will need to contact the court in the morning to make enquiries. it would seem to me that you need to be asking the court for an appointment for a Section 14 Statutory Declaration.

Please post back once you have called the court.

L007x

Thanks guys, I've sorted it now.
Apparently the court messed up! My plea was received & they didn't change my address to my new one like I told them so everything after that was sent to my old address. They've had to remove the warrant for baliffs & now I can just pay off my fine monthly