tv license help going to court !!?

Question

ive got a letter from magistrates court for not paying my tv licensing i am to appear in court in the next few week, the tv license guy came to my house, it is not my tv its my dad and its not my house i was there and i openede the door and the guy took my details this was in 11 of march 2010 he warned me about not paying so now it is the 31 of september 2010 i received the letter today telling giving me three options to plead guilty by post or plead guilty in court or not guilty , when the guy came to the house he took all my details my tv license expired in 31 october 2009 so i am shitting bricks, however it turns out i forgot that i paid my tv licenese the day it expired on 31 october 2009 and so this guy came around for no reason what so ever i am wondering what will happen now i can show them that i have a license that is valid till 31 october 2010 also i immediatly bought another tv license today when i still have a months worth of license left can somebody let me know what i can do and whether or not i can sue these idiots for the grief they have given me the court is trying to mugg me off telling me to plead guilty to what exactly ? i have a tv license and they expect me to pay £80 to the idiot who came to my house with a warning at the time i didnt know i had a license but i did, i want to sue someone for something this is a total waste of my time

Answer 1

The offence is using a TV without a licence and arguably a baby sitter could be prosecuted for it, never having asked the people she was baby sitting for whether their set was covered by a licence.



You will clearly be pleading not guilty to this. In doing so, set out all the facts clearly and ask that they be read out in court at the first hearing so that the prosecutor can be alerted to what has been going on. The prosecutors working for the licensing department don't want to look like idiots and on the basis of what you have said their normal response would be to withdraw the matter. If not, then you'll have to attend court next time and if and when you win the case, you can apply for costs against the licensing authority. That is another thing they will want to avoid.



Most people in your position would simply get in touch with the Department and avoid the trouble and (possibly) expense of having to attend court.

Good luck!

Answer 2

The crime is using a TV without having a license. You have a license. All you need to do is show the court the license and you will obviously be found not guilty.



If you want to avoid going to court, call the TV license people saying you have been accused of not having a license but you do and ask them to check their records. If they find it on their system, ask them to arrange for the court case to be cancelled. If not, give them the TV license for them to check again and hopefully they will find it. You will need to have your TV license in front of you, as well as the letter from court which has a case number on it.



They should be willing to drop the case as soon as you show them you have one because it's not in their interests to pay for a pointless court case.



If you get that all sorted out on the phone, ask them afterwards if you can get a refund on the new license as there is an overlap of x months and they should be able to process that for you.

Answer 3

Go to court. Plead "NOT GUILTY".

Take proof of your ID & your address, so you can prove that you don't even live at the address the TV guy came to.

Take your TV License to prove that YOU had a valid TV license for YOUR address.

The case will be thrown out.

Tell the magistrate that the TV guy was bullying & abusive, and how you have been unable to sleep and suffered emotional distress.

Answer 4

The law says that the person who switches on a TV is the person who is responsible for ensuring that the TV is licensed - it doesn't matter who owns the TV.



The licence is for the establishment that contains the TV.



IF THE TV IS NOT SWITCHED ON THEN NO LICENCE IS REQUIRED!



It's your word against the TVLA guy's; so plead not guilty and use as your defence "I didn't turn the TV on" - he can't prove you did if there was anyone else in the house, and, if you didn't sign anything that said the TV was on, he can't prove that it wasn't.

Answer 5

TV Licenses are regulated by law by the PostMaster General. WE haven't had one of those since the sixties so the law is invalid. Mention that in court and watch them squirm.

Answer 6

would they not have that Information in their system , just take your license with you to court .