TV Licence dilemna

laissez-faire · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:35

I literally never watch TV, but I own the TV and Freeview box that were in the sitting room. I just watch DVDs and hook it up to the computer. One of my flatmates did have a TV licence but he has decided not to renew it because he is dropping out of uni and is just hanging around for a few more weeks.

If he wants to take the risk and be fined then I don't care - however I get the impression that we will be jointly liable in the case of a fine? How is it decided who gets prosecuted?

Sam

EDIT > Furthermore - is it legally sufficient for me to simply put the Freeview box in a cupboard or do I have to store it in another property? Thanks

daz · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:38

The legal owner of the TV I'd have thought.

Nexus · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:40

I'd imagine you will all be jointly liable for the license, unless you have individual contract with the landlord, on a room per room basis.

melbourne720 · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:42

TVlicensing.co.uk said:
Do I need a licence if I live in a shared house and it's not my TV?
If you've signed a joint tenancy agreement with your housemates, you'll only need one TV Licence to cover all the TV receivers in your house. So it's a good idea to share the cost.

If you don't have a licence between you, whoever is found watching TV when an Enforcement Officer comes to visit is the one who risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000. It could be you, whether you own the TV or not.

If you've signed a separate tenancy agreement and you're taking a TV receiver to use in your room, you'll need a TV Licence of your own.

Indiana Jones said:
Close you eye's Marian, don't look at it!

PinkPig · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:45

daz said:
The legal owner of the TV I'd have thought.

Nope, it's the person who watches TV (without a TV license) who would be breaking the law. The fact that you own it is neither here nor there if you don't actually use it.

If the TV is only ever watched when you're not in the room then that's no problem. (though it's their problem). If you just own it and put it in a box then of course you're absolutely fine! The law is about using a TV to watch broadcasts - owning the TV or even using it for other purposes (e.g. DVDs or games) is also absolutely fine without a TV license.

[TW]Fox · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:46

melbourne720 said:

whoever is found watching TV when an Enforcement Officer comes to visit is the one who risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000

Given they can't come into your house without a warrant, and you could simply switch off when answering the door, is this not an admission that there isnt anything they can do?

MeatLoaf · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:51

[TW]Fox;11218732 said:
Given they can't come into your house without a warrant, and you could simply switch off when answering the door, is this not an admission that there isnt anything they can do?

Would they not know it had been on tho by checking to see if its warm?

Confused · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:52

The threat of a £1000 fine is just that - a threat, and most cave in at it!

laissez-faire · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:53

If it were me who was planning to break the law it would be fine, I feel I have an adequate understanding of how prosecutions work and the need for evidence etc - but the other flatmate is as thick as two short planks. 'I just got 80% in an IQ test - awesome' (true story) so anyway, he'd not be able to be clever enough to deny them entry. He'd be more likely to show them he was watching the TV and say something like 'but look I am a decent guy and I've just not got round to it yet'. He really is so stupid at landing himself in trouble like that.

Monkey Puzzle · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:55

MeatLoaf said:
Would they not know it had been on tho by checking to see if its warm?

They can't if you don't allow them on the property, and they can't get a warrant without reasonable suspicion you have a tv. Not sure whether their detector things can pinpoint a tv to your house though...

Monkey Puzzle · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:58

laissez-faire said:
but the other flatmate is as thick as two short planks. 'I just got 80% in an IQ test - awesome' (true story)

[TW]Fox · 3 Mar 2008 at 11:58

MeatLoaf said:
Would they not know it had been on tho by checking to see if its warm?

And that tells you its been watching Eastenders and not playing Pro Evolution?

Felix E · 3 Mar 2008 at 12:00

they can't gain entry without a warrant, be careful even about giving them your name if they come round - I had some trouble because the tv license people screwed up and thought we didn't have a license, they tried to take me to court because I was the one who answered the door and gave them my name. I lived with 5 other students.

Monkey Puzzle · 3 Mar 2008 at 12:07

Felix E said:
they can't gain entry without a warrant, be careful even about giving them your name if they come round - I had some trouble because the tv license people screwed up and thought we didn't have a license, they tried to take me to court because I was the one who answered the door and gave them my name. I lived with 5 other students.

Did you give them any reason to think that you had a tv? Or did they say the magic detector said you had one?

jamief · 3 Mar 2008 at 12:22

It's dilemma

Prophet · 3 Mar 2008 at 12:27

[TW]Fox;11218807 said:
And that tells you its been watching Eastenders and not playing Pro Evolution?

IIRC that doesnt matter. If you own a TV or PC that can receive a broadcast signal you need a licence whether you watch TV or not.

I guess if you didnt have an aerial, sat dish or freeview box and only had a console connected you may have a good case.

Skeeter · 3 Mar 2008 at 12:55

Orange Peel said:
IIRC that doesnt matter. If you own a TV or PC that can receive a broadcast signal you need a licence whether you watch TV or not.

I guess if you didnt have an aerial, sat dish or freeview box and only had a console connected you may have a good case.

If you have a devise in use that can recieve a broadcasted signal then you must pay for a license. This does not mean you need an aerial, or anythign connected up. If the TV has a reciever inside it then its liable. Using it just for consoles is not a way to avoid a license. The only way to have a TV and not have to pay for a license is to have the reciver removed from the TV (all CRTs have an analogue reciever and most TFTs now have a freeview one too). because having the ability to recieve TV but just not using it isnt an assurance against you using it in the future. Friend of the family paid £70 to have the reciver removed from their TV and a certificate so that they can have the TV in use without a lisence.

In a slighly strange clause though, you dont need a TV licence for something batter powered. This means all portable TVs, and Laptops with TV cards. I also know of a mate who bought a USB TV card, and as he only owned a laptop, managed to get this without a license, even though theres nothing to stop it being stuck in a PC...

But basically, if you use a TV, you need a license. And if you on a single tennancy and have 1 TV license for the whole house, the whole house is liable to the fine.

They also wont just show up at the door. They will send you a letter to arange a time when they can visit.

Shoseki · 3 Mar 2008 at 13:02

Actually, you are allowed to have a TV specifically for the use of a games console but you must declare it in advance.

4T5 · 3 Mar 2008 at 13:05

Skeeter said:
But basically, if you use a TV, you need a license.

Not True.
Disconnecting your cable/Aeriel from the TV makes it unable to receive a signal therefore negating the need for a TV license.
Owning a TV that can receive is Not an offence only actually watching/receiving TV programmes broadcast from THIS country is an offence. You can quite legally watch Progs broadcast from other country's but then you have Copyright to deal with

Remember people they Assume power when they knock on your door but have NONE. First thing to do is refuse to talk to them without a witness. Close the door on them & go get a neighbour/friend etc. Then ask to see the Search warrant. They will not have a warrant so you can refuse to allow them entry. No entry means No proof, Simple as.
They will follow up with a Warrant but they still have to catch you with the TV connected to the Aeriel/cable.
Read up on it guys & use PACE to make it cost them around 6000 pound to bring a prosecution against you to get there grand, Usually around 600 first go

Why should we pay Extortionate fees to pay newsreaders on the Beeb around 500k a year for sitting behind a desk reading bits of paper :confused:

TV licensing fees are an abomination that the general public should not be Bullied & blackmailed into paying.
Pay the people that work at the BBC a Normal wage & reduce the fee to a reasonable amount. Also try putting something on the Beeb that i actually want to watch.

Muffin` · 3 Mar 2008 at 13:09

Skeeter said:
If you have a devise in use that can recieve a broadcasted signal then you must pay for a license. This does not mean you need an aerial, or anythign connected up. If the TV has a reciever inside it then its liable. Using it just for consoles is not a way to avoid a license. The only way to have a TV and not have to pay for a license is to have the reciver removed from the TV (all CRTs have an analogue reciever and most TFTs now have a freeview one too). because having the ability to recieve TV but just not using it isnt an assurance against you using it in the future. Friend of the family paid £70 to have the reciver removed from their TV and a certificate so that they can have the TV in use without a lisence.

In a slighly strange clause though, you dont need a TV licence for something batter powered. This means all portable TVs, and Laptops with TV cards. I also know of a mate who bought a USB TV card, and as he only owned a laptop, managed to get this without a license, even though theres nothing to stop it being stuck in a PC...

But basically, if you use a TV, you need a license. And if you on a single tennancy and have 1 TV license for the whole house, the whole house is liable to the fine.

They also wont just show up at the door. They will send you a letter to arange a time when they can visit.

You don't have to de-tune anything, they have to prove that you are watching a television boradcast without a license, and it is next to impossible. They get people by getting them to admit to it.