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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be thinking "what a waste of court time" What would you do?

57 replies

fit2drop · 28/02/2011 13:38

About 5 months ago my DD was looking after her friends child because her friend had been rushed into hospital after being found in a diabetic coma. (actually not sure she was in a coma as I dont understand about diabetes too much but she was desperately ill for a while )Anyway DD stayed with the child who is 2 yrs old as there was no family available to babysit and the child Knows DD and is happy to be with her, though she was upset and crying for her mum.. . Whilst she was tidying her friends flat and collecting some clothes etc for the child a TV licence fella knocks on the door asking questions.
DD said it wasn't her house, he said , you have the TV on, dd said yes, the little girl was watching a child's programme.
The guy asks if the house owner has a license . DD says she doesnt know ,
he takes DD,s name and address, (she lives directly opposite her friend)
He asked again if DD lived there she said NO I'm staying to look after the little girl.
He asked how long for , DD said she didnt know .
Fast forward 5 months.... DDs friend hands DD a letter which had gone to her friends house. It is a court summons for using a TV without a license in my DDs name.
She is being tried at court for this!!
It NOT her home
Its NOT her TV

a copy of the letter she signed (yeah I know she shouldn't have signed it but she had a stressed screaming child and just assumed that the guy had ticked the right boxes and put the right things down)

where it says do you live here , he has written in YES, when in fact my daughter had said she was only there babysitting.
My dd has never NOT had a licence since she moved from her childhood home.

Surely they cannot fine her for her friend not having a license,
How would she know her friend never had one
Do you ask every friend you have if they have a license just in case you get left in their home fr any unforseen reason?/

This is bollocks isnt it!!

Should my DD let it go the distance and see this guy in court (which it says on the papers she can ask to have him there) or should she get in touch with a solicitor which to be fair she really cannot afford.

OP posts:
FabbyChic · 28/02/2011 13:42

If she is on benefits she can probably be represented for free.

GiddyPickle · 28/02/2011 13:45

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Original poster
fit2drop · 28/02/2011 13:58

fabby No she is not on benefits, possibly family tax credit? does that count?

Giddy The guy told her that it didnt matter if it wasnt her house, he said she will be summonsed for using an unlicensed tv.

I think my query is

How are people supposed to know who has a licence.

All she was doing was a favour for a friend

OP posts:
GiddyPickle · 28/02/2011 14:00

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MCos · 28/02/2011 14:03

What GiddyPickle said..

scurryfunge · 28/02/2011 14:04

TEL. 0300 790 6131

Call TV Licensing and ask them what is going on.

All your daughter needed to do at the time was prove she was who she says she was and lived over the road.

Debs75 · 28/02/2011 14:07

If she writes to the TV licensing with a photcopy of her rental agreement or mortgage agreement, her copy of tv license and a recent utility bill then she can prove who she is where she lives and that she is licensed. If that doesn't work then she will have to take it to court with her where the judge maybe sympathetic.

The downside is her friend will get fined

Original poster
fit2drop · 28/02/2011 14:08

Giddy (oh lord feel like im drip feeding info now)

They know who owns/lives at the flat.They know that DD's friend does not have a license and has been warned prior to the call that my daughter answered that she needed to get a license or she would be prosecuted. Obviously they would have to catch DD's friend when the TV was on....

Unfortunately when they came it was my DD who was the adult in the house so it is her they are prosecuting , not for not having a license but for using an unlicensed TV.

Its ridiculous ...pedantic and jobsworth ....

Her friend has said she will pay the fine but thats not the point, my DD does not want a conviction against her name.

OP posts:
veritythebrave · 28/02/2011 14:08

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Original poster
fit2drop · 28/02/2011 14:10

scurryfunge thank you for that info, I will pass that number to her ... cheers Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
fit2drop · 28/02/2011 14:12

veritythe brave Thanks for that too.... tought they wer throwing their weight around too......

Nice to know Im not just being an over protective mummy

OP posts:
veritythebrave · 28/02/2011 14:12

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GiddyPickle · 28/02/2011 14:13

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TotemPole · 28/02/2011 14:15

I thought it was the legal occupier that would be prosecuted. Otherwise you'd have landlords all over being taken to court for their tenants.

MadamDeathstare · 28/02/2011 14:16

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MadamDeathstare · 28/02/2011 14:16

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GretchenWiener · 28/02/2011 14:18

it is a waste of time and i have NO IDEA what criminal courts serve as teh BBCs debt collection in this.

however you would be stunned how many people haev repeat offences for this - the fine goes up each time - and " cant afford it" yet have sky

KatieWatie · 28/02/2011 14:21

It's the 2-year-old they should be taking to court - she was the one watching the TV!

Annpan88 · 28/02/2011 14:24

Aaarrrgghh I hate Tv licensing people, never had a run in with them but I hate all the stupid letters demanding payments "I'VE PAID YOU DO YOUR JOB PROPERLY" sorry, I just think the whole way they conduct their business is bollocks. Hope everything works out for your daughter deff doesn't deserve this. I'd write to a local paper.

GiddyPickle · 28/02/2011 14:25

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Original poster
fit2drop · 28/02/2011 14:26

giddy

I think he asked my DD if she lived there and she said she was looking after the child because mum was in hospital.

He ticked the yes box (which he should not have done,) Whether this was deliberate or not I do not know.
But HE is the one who has taken this this far knowing it is not my DDs flat, nor my DD's TV.
He knew my DD lived opposite, He knew my D had a license fr her own personal TV.

I am more on veritys way of thinking in take it to court and let them see what a shambles it is and a waste of money.... But then my concience kicks in and I think like MadamDeathstare is it fair to waste court time like this....

OP posts:
LisasCat · 28/02/2011 14:28

If it was me I'd actually let it go as far as court. I'd love to demand that pillock attends, and then face him down. But then that's me, and I'm a mardy cow. If your DD isn't spoiling for a fight aggressive, she probably can stop this now with a call to the Licensing people.

mamatomany · 28/02/2011 14:29

Go to court, it'll get thrown out.

Dropdeadfred · 28/02/2011 14:31

but has she phoned the licensing authority and explained the misake at all yet??

MissJanuary · 28/02/2011 14:32

You and your daughter have my sympathies.

Yet another example of the UK gone mad.

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