Hi I was wondering if you can advise me urgently.

My bf has been staying with me and not been using his tv.

He went to get some things from the house and the tv license officer was outside

and as he was in a rush and was not thinking straight

he was asked to sign something and he did.

He gave his correct name although it's common and his correct date of birth

but the date of birth was incorrect on the paperwork

and he left and thought no more about it and was told that was it.

Then he recieved a summons from court got scared and ignored it and was fined £350.

He was supposed to make payment by the 14 march.

He is on benefits and it seems unfair that he has been fined as he was paying it every month

till about 3 months and then he got tricked into signing something he didn't understand. .

He clearly doesn't have the money.

He doesnt watch tv there as rarely is there,

on occasion just recording match of the day to watch later on or playing xbox.

What should he do?

Is there a way out of this?

The wrong date of birth is on the paperwork.

He used to work but now struggles to make ends meet.

He doesnt even put the dam tv on.

He was supposed to pay up by yday.

I only found out about the summons stuff yday and the payment date.

It's stressing me and him out so much.

Can someone advise urgently pls?

Speak to the court administering the fine and see if a payment arrangement can be made. He might be able to provide his financial information and the court will make the appropriate arrangement. BUT it needs to be dealt with urgently, otherwise it will be passed to enforcement officers and they will add fees.

You still need a TV licence if you record live programmes. You can use catch up programmes like iplayer.

He's already making council tax payments out of his benefits. He barely has enough to make ends meet without having this to add to.he doesn't have landline internet there or anything.

He's already making council tax payments out of his benefits. He barely has enough to make ends meet without having this to add to.he doesn't have landline internet there or anything.

OK, but the fine is still there. If it gets passed to enforcement, they can charge at least £310 if they have to visit to attempt to take control of goods to sell.

He has no choice, but to urgently speak to Magistrates and ask for a means hearing, as he has no funds to pay the fine.

It is probably too late to appeal the TV licence fine, but he could speak to a Solicitor.

Keep in mind that it is not unlawful to own a tv, plugged in and tuned or not. They have to prove that he was using it to watch or record 'live' programmes, without that proof there can be no charge.

He must sar them so he gets a copy of the paper he signed to see exactly what it says. If it is an admission that he watches tv and has no license, without being told what he was signing it has no legality and could even be entrapment.

Keep in mind that it is not unlawful to own a tv, plugged in and tuned or not. They have to prove that he was using it to watch or record 'live' programmes, without that proof there can be no charge.

 

He must sar them so he gets a copy of the paper he signed to see exactly what it says. If it is an admission that he watches tv and has no license, without being told what he was signing it has no legality and could even be entrapment.

That may well be true. But the TV licencing people will just tell Magistrates he admitted watching or recording live TV output, signing the form to confirm it.

In the meantime Maigistrates have a criminal fine that will go out for enforcement, if an arrangement is not entered into. It does not mean that he cannot seek advice to attempt to appeal to Magistrates out of time. There must be a process for late appeal.

The date of birth is wrong does that make any difference?

The date of birth is wrong does that make any difference?

No.

It might cause Magistrates an issue in getting the criminal offence registered on the correct record. But they may find the correct DOB from other records from his name and address.

The advice is.

1) speak to Magistrates to get a means hearing as he cannot pay at the moment

2) speak to a Solicitors about possibility of appealing this. Many Solicitors offer a free half hour advice and he may qualify for legal aid help.

He's just emailed the courts. There seems to be no paperwork of what he actually signed. Have looked through the whole house. He's emailed the courts saying this aswell as letting them know he has not filled in a financial statement and cannot afford to pay. Hope they reply soon.

He should try to phone them as well to make them aware. Once they instruct enforcement officers, it can be difficult to get it back to the court.

Could really do with some advice.

earlier this year my bf was staying a lot at my house.

I was helping him pay the TV licence as he suffers from depression due to bereavement and was unemployed .

As he began staying more I stopped paying the TV license and he has been out of work I didn't really think anything about it.

There is a TV in the house but was hardly ever used at this point.

in April as he went back to his house a TV licence officer got his attention and stupidly he gave his details

(he rarely sleeps and doesn't always think properly) .

He was told a payment card would be sent out in the post.

He thought no more of it.

Some weeks later the court letters came.

He didn't respond.

The next he knew baillifs were putting letters through the door.

To stop action he filed for a statutory declaration as the fine was now significant and he can barely make ends meet.

At court he saw some of the personal details were incorrect.

As a result he left and refused to go back.

No doubt now bailiffs action will be reinstated .

He is still hardly ever there.

What do you advice?

It is causing a great deal if worry and stress and attending court again or paying that large fine is not really an option.

Please help thank you

old and new threads merged for history

dx

I would get rid of the TV ( if not already done so) and inform the TV licensing that you do not require a license. What was said on the statutory declaration ?..

If he signed the guilty/admittance form on the doorstep TVL shove in peoples faces, then the court fine will need dealing with.

If money is tight, then why doesn't he give up his place, that he rarely stays at, move in with you, or vice versa? and with the money he saves pay off this fine.

I have four TV's in my place, and I don't pay a TV licence, the licence isn't for the actual television.

If he signed the guilty/admittance form on the doorstep TVL shove in peoples faces, then the court fine will need dealing with.

 

If money is tight, then why doesn't he give up his place, that he rarely stays at, move in with you, or vice versa? and with the money he saves pay off this fine.

 

I have four TV's in my place, and I don't pay a TV licence, the licence isn't for the actual television.

May he not have signed under duress ?..

May he not have signed under duress ?..

Regardless, the fine still stands and would be a priority, the BBC excels at putting pressure and duress on the public to maintain their profits.