tv license harrassment

[mollymop]

Hello

 

Can anyone please tell me if I am legally obliged to inform tv licensing that I do not need a license. I had informed them via their own website by completing the declaration form. I did this about two years ago when my tv broke and I never got it replaced. I recently had a visit from one of them and told them again that I do not have a tv and didnt let them in. I have now recieved a letter stating "We want to ensure you have the information you may need before a hearing is set at your local court".

 

I just wondered if I am legally obliged to inform them on a regular basis that I do not need a license.

[maroondevo52]

Hi,

 

I have moved your thread to the appropriate Forum, hopefully you will get some advice shortly.

 

Regards,

 

Scott.

[SabreSheep]

tell us more about what happened on your doorstep. did you sign anything?

[Conniff]

Do you have a working television receiver in your house ??

[obiter dictum]

I sent an Email to Capita/TV Licence two years ago saying i do not watch live TV Broadcasts and stop their goons from knocking at my door or deluge with Pseudo official legal letters. They agreed and stated they will contact me in 2 years to see if there has been any change.

 

The legislation is watching live Broadcasts, not if you have equipment that can receive live Broadcasts. I have my TV hooked up to my computer for the simple fact i have bad eye sight with no Aeriel connected.

 

There is no statutory requirement to have a TV Licence if you do not watch live TV Broadcasts. Computer, DVD, Games Consuls etc

 

I now live in Northern Ireland. Just like Bailiffs, TV Licence would be suicide to show their faces around here

[Conniff]

So why didn't you let them in to take a look, that would have been the easy way out.

Edited August 9, 2015 by Conniff
Not relevant to the original post

[obiter dictum]

Because there are no statutory requirements that states i must let them into my home, let alone communicate with these tax inspectors

 

17% of magistrate court time is taken up with TV Licence issues, The majority are unemployed women visited in the afternoon to polite to refuse them access or refuse to sign their forms instigated by subterfuge. Not to mention the alleged commission payments these Tax collectors receive

[Conniff]

CWK, you are getting the thread mixed up, if you have a problem with tv licensing, can you start your own thread please.

 

My response was to the original poster mollymop .

[obiter dictum]

The point i was making is that their is no statutory duty to even communicate with a private commercial company employed on behalf of TV Licence. That being Capita. On the door step or by email

 

There is no statutory obligation to have a TV Licence if you do not watch live TV Broadcasts

 

It is down to TV Licence to prove you are watching live TV Broadcasts, or on the balance of probabilities. If they come into your house and see the TV has the Aeriel connected then that will be sufficient. But you deny them access anyway unless they are using RIPA Legislation or a warrant secured through a magistrate. But that will need probable cause such as confirmation you are watching live broadcasts such as witnessing through a window etc and through a witness statement presented to the magistrate

 

Mollymop

 

Just do that declaration on line again will be sufficient

[Conniff]

The point i was making is that their is no statutory duty to even communicate with a private commercial company employed on behalf of TV Licence. That being Capita. On the door step or by email

 

There is no statutory obligation to have a TV Licence if you do not watch live TV Broadcasts

 

It is down to TV Licence to prove you are watching live TV Broadcasts, or on the balance of probabilities. If they come into your house and see the TV has the Aeriel connected then that will be sufficient. But you deny them access anyway unless they are using RIPA Legislation or a warrant secured through a magistrate. But that will need probable cause such as confirmation you are watching live broadcasts such as witnessing through a window etc and through a witness statement presented to the magistrate

 

Mollymop

 

Just do that declaration on line again will be sufficient

 

And I agree with you fully. I don't think there is a need to do the declaration again. There is no lawful requirement to notify them at all, it's their policy to not believe anyone.

 

The only time you need contact is if you are claiming back 3 months or more license fee that won't be used.

[SabreSheep]

Can we address this issue for the OP please

 

" I have now recieved a letter stating "We want to ensure you have the information you may need before a hearing is set at your local court"."

 

Op stated they had a visit from the goons. We need to know what happened at the doorstep so we know whether or not the OP has been spoofed by Goon'd'Crappia

[mollymop]

My son has a TV but it has NOT been used to watch live tv for the past two years since the aerial broke and we never got it replaced. He only uses it to play on x-box and watch films on netflix. I do watch programmes but this is on my tab through itvplayer or 4od.

 

I didn't sign anything on the doorstep. I told the guy I didn't have a tv and he said in a very intimidating way, I need to come in and check. I said to him, sorry but you are not coming in and I don't have to prove anything to you. I also told him if TV licensing want to take me to court, that's ok with me.

 

The letter received gave me the impression that I should have contacted them. The first line reads "you have failed to respond to any of our letters", blah blah blah.....

 

As long as I am not breaking the law by not informing them, I'm not worried as I have absolutely nothing to hide.

[mollymop]

PS don't they have to have to have some sort of proof before they start any court proceedings?

[mollymop]

I do not let thugs into my home.

[MaxxPower]

My son has a TV but it has NOT been used to watch live tv for the past two years since the aerial broke and we never got it replaced. He only uses it to play on x-box and watch films on netflix. I do watch programmes but this is on my tab through itvplayer or 4od.

 

I didn't sign anything on the doorstep. I told the guy I didn't have a tv and he said in a very intimidating way, I need to come in and check. I said to him, sorry but you are not coming in and I don't have to prove anything to you. I also told him if TV licensing want to take me to court, that's ok with me.

 

The letter received gave me the impression that I should have contacted them. The first line reads "you have failed to respond to any of our letters", blah blah blah.....

 

As long as I am not breaking the law by not informing them, I'm not worried as I have absolutely nothing to hide.

 

You say you're watching programmes on your tablet. Are these live? Or just on-demand after the live transmission?

You still need a license if you watch live programmes on a device other than a TV, such as a PC or tablet.

[mollymop]

No live tv whatsoever, only catchup tv after it has been broadcast through, itvplayer and 4od. It's not possible to watch live tv on either of those as far as I am aware.

[SabreSheep]

OK no signature thats good

 

Unless you get a summons form the court, ignore them and tell them to sod iff

[mollymop]

Thank you SabreSheep.

[SabreSheep]

in fact as soon as a goon turns up on your door, start filming them they love that

[MaxxPower]

No live tv whatsoever, only catchup tv after it has been broadcast through, itvplayer and 4od. It's not possible to watch live tv on either of those as far as I am aware.

 

ITVplayer does have a live tv option, at least through the website, so that's why I wanted to check after you mentioned that service

[renegadeimp]

Read what that letter said. Its a very carefully worded threatogram.

[mollymop]

Damn, I wish I had not thought of filming.

 

 

Thank you MaxxPower, I didn't know there was a live option. It got me thinking that I may have accidentally gone onto the live option but I doubt it as I only watch via the app on my tablet.

[JoeyJoeC]

They won't know even if you have. They just hope you admit to having a TV or watching live TV broadcasts.

[Conniff]

Damn, I wish I had not thought of filming.

 

 

Thank you MaxxPower, I didn't know there was a live option. It got me thinking that I may have accidentally gone onto the live option but I doubt it as I only watch via the app on my tablet.

 

They won't know even if you have. They just hope you admit to having a TV or watching live TV broadcasts.

 

As above, they won't know, all they know is that there is no license issued for that address so they go on the attack as if there is a tv, what they are really saying is everyone without a tv license is a liar. I think they must have been schooled at the same doh school at traffic wardens and bailiffs, not everyone wants to watch crap tv.

[Bazooka Boo]

There are about four cleverly worded missives they get their computers to spit out on a monthly basis, in order to intimidate the uneducated into

funding the corporate elite in the guise of the TV tax.

 

When you ignore them for a while, and don't speak to them, then they all come addressed to ''The Legal Occupier''.

At this point you can sit back and continue to ignore them as you know you've won.

 

At the beginning it starts off with, unlicensed property, visit being authorised, what to expect in court, visit, all cleverly worded,

all as equally desperate.

 

Then they move onto printing some of them in red ink!!! OOoohh scary! Headed ''OFFICIAL WARNING WE HAVE OPENED AN INVESTIGATION''

 

And when you read their missives carefully, they even use the phrase;

A reminder of the Law,

It is illegal to watch or record blah blah blah.....lie lie lie...

 

It can't be both, it's either 'illegal' or it's 'unlawful'. They just think were too dumb to question that!

 

I have around two hundred of their threat letters, I have never paid the TV tax and never will, I have had one ''enforcement'' visit where I simply stood there, arms folded, said nothing, leaning up against MY door staring at him, and when he realised he wasn't going to get his bit of commission, he scurried away.

 

The very best way to deal with these clowns, is to do nothing, keep the front door firmly shut, if they are dumb enough to start peering through windows, film the goons and report them to the police. You are under absolutely NO legal obligation to even tell them that you don't need a TVL, even though their silly little missives claim that you ''have not responded to our previous letters'', (that's because I'm ignoring you!).

 

I don't have a driving licence but DVLA don't harass and threaten me with intimidating letters to get one!

 

Ignore them.