Archive has 876 results
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Isle of Wight Council (19 009 535)
Statement Not upheld Council tax 21-Feb-2020
Summary: Mr X complains that the Council invoiced him for two years of backdated council tax that he had already paid to his landlord. He says this impacted on his health. The Ombudsman has discontinued this investigation because the Council has resolved the issue.
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Dartford Borough Council (19 010 624)
Statement Upheld Council tax 21-Feb-2020
Summary: Mr X complains the Council gave him incorrect information about a council tax exemption and also delayed in determining a planning application. After sending incorrect bills for three years the Council then demanded a backdated payment of almost £7,000. An appropriate remedy for the injustice suffered is agreed. An alternative remedy, by way of appeal to a Government Minister, was available in respect of the delay in determining the planning application so this part of the complaint falls outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction.
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London Borough of Redbridge (19 014 815)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 21-Feb-2020
Summary: A business owner complained that the Council had wrongly calculated his business rates. But the Ombudsman does not have grounds to investigate this matter because there is no sign of fault by the Council.
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Birmingham City Council (19 006 920)
Statement Not upheld Council tax 21-Feb-2020
Summary: Mr D complains about the Council’s enforcement action for unpaid council tax. The Ombudsman finds no evidence of fault. And, in any case, there is no injustice, as the Council has decided not to collect unpaid enforcement fees.
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Statement Upheld Council tax 21-Feb-2020
Summary: Miss X complains about the Council’s decision to remove her single person council tax discount in 2012, failing to notify her of appeal rights, and a breach of data protection. She says the Council has not charged her correctly for council tax. She says this has caused her distress, anxiety and inconvenience. The Ombudsman finds the Council at fault for not telling Miss X of her appeal rights sooner. However, this did not cause Miss X injustice because she was notified of fresh appeal rights in 2019. The Ombudsman does not find the Council at fault for the way it has charged Miss X for council tax and enforcement costs. The Ombudsman will not investigate the parts of Miss X’s complaint about the decision to remove the discount because it is outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction, and about data protection breaches because the Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to deal with complaints of this nature.
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London Borough of Haringey (19 015 391)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 20-Feb-2020
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to suspend his wife’s housing benefit. This is because the complaint is late and it was reasonable to appeal to the tribunal.
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London Borough of Islington (19 016 049)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council tax 20-Feb-2020
Summary: Mrs X complains the Council encouraged her to carry out work to her home which reduced its value. Mrs X is also unhappy because she says the work meant a higher council tax bill. The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint. This is because the complaint is late, we cannot investigate if someone has appealed to a tribunal, and we have no powers to consider decisions taken by the Valuation Office Agency.
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London Borough of Waltham Forest (19 016 300)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council tax 20-Feb-2020
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the Council starting enforcement action for the late payment of Council tax. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council, so an investigation is not warranted.
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Stevenage Borough Council (18 018 817)
Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 19-Feb-2020
Summary: the Council failed to tell Miss C about her right of appeal when refusing her application for a four-week extension to housing benefit. That delayed the Council referring the appeal to tribunal. An apology and agreement to put in a late appeal for Miss C is satisfactory remedy for the injustice caused.
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London Borough of Bromley (19 017 817)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council tax 19-Feb-2020
Summary: Ms X complains that the Council did not update her Council tax record and, as a result, she received a reminder letter for unpaid Council tax. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient injustice to warrant investigation.