Good discussion here, let's respond.
Nimh:
Quote:You genuinely believe that Americans never get possessions seized when they can't or don't pay their debts? Or are you making some other distinction here?
Did I say or imply this? I don't believe I've discussed anything that happens or doesn't happen in the US other than people breaking into people's homes to steal possessions are liable to be shot. When Americans do not pay their debts, they get harassing phone calls or their service gets cut. For TV, most Americans have 3 choices, cable service, satellite dish or antennae. We'll leave online out of it for now and that is usually tied to TV service now.
If you miss a bill, you get sent a new bill with past due included. If you miss that bill, you receive a final notice plus past due. You miss again, you lose service. Then that gets attached to your credit rating. No one comes to your house to collect anything. You get that right?
This is how it is in most cases of debt in America.
Quote:When you make claims about how something "would never fly in America", those claims are up for discussion, no? I mean, when you've got practices like
the police shaking down random drivers under the label of "civil forfeiture", which seems way worse than the licence fee thing, it seems odd to turn this into some kind of "you wacky Europeans, nothing like this would happen in America where we have guns" thing.
America has a crazy war on drugs thing that has been going on for years and years now. I am no fan.
Civil forfeiture (in most cases) in the cases you are talking about are due to the drug war. Assets believed to be purchased with money resulting from the selling of drugs can be legally taken by police and sold at auction to recoup money spent on investigations. I am completely opposed to this unless absolute proof can be demonstrated that such actually happened. I would be more than willing to participate in a thread on that matter. This thread is about the UK and the laws there.
Centrox:
You appear to be talking about yourself with your troll comment. That is the only way I could describe your last post.
Quote:get their jollies picking arguments with complete strangers about some topic or other. It doesn't really matter what the topic actually is. They show many (or all!) of the characteristics of the classic web troll e.g. they pretend to misunderstand or deliberately ignore salient points,
That is EXACTLY what you did on your last post with your snide comment
Quote:They are not coming to take your things for payment of the licence fee. They are coming to the door because you didn't pay the fine you got for breaking the law by watching TV without a licence, and holding out against the court, or ignoring it.
You knew exactly what I meant when I wrote
Quote:Especially when you get people coming to your actual door looking to take your things for payment of a license fee...
. I am glad that you are man enough to admit doing so.
Farmerman:
In America, have you ever seen or heard of a cable TV company going into someone's home and taking property to be sold at auction to pay debt owed?
Quote:Under federal law, those who are caught stealing cable can be criminally fined up to $1,000, imprisoned for up to six months, or both.
If the violation is willful and for commercial advantage or private financial gain, federal law allows for additional fines for the first offense up to $50,000 and imprisonment of 2 years, or both. For subsequent offenses, federal law provides for additional fines up to $100,000 and imprisonment of 5 years, or both.
A cable operator can also seek civil remedies or damages up to $10,000.
Under Massachusetts law provides for fines of up to $3,000, imprisonment for up to 2 1/2 years, or both for theft of cable services valued at less than five thousand dollars. Fines of up to $10,000, imprisonment up to 10 years, or both are provided for fraudulently obtaining services equal to or greater than $5,000 in value.
So, yes serious offense that should be taken seriously. Do you see in there anywhere that says someone will come and take your stuff?
Police are required to have a warrant to enter your home without permission unless they have articulable probable cause to enter or if a crime is being committed. For a cable TV infraction, a warrant should be easily obtainable if the cable TV company has evidence.
That you would say
Quote:So you seem to be proud of the fact that you would not feel guilty were you to shoot a cop so he cant serve up a notice that you are suspected of theft of service. Is that your real point??
sickens me.
I've never said anything of the sort, nor have I implied anything of the sort. I'd appreciate an apology for that obscene and over the top comment.
What I said is that the reason what happens in the UK does not happen in the US is because the UK have had both their guns and their balls removed. The government controls their lives and they have lost any modicum of freedom they might have once had.
Out TV programming IS superior. Both US and UK have excellent programming options and both have made some very good shows. I don't think that really requires any convincing though. Most in the UK don't get to enjoy American TV because they are not free to. Ever wonder about that?
