Wycombe District Council (19 019 386)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council house sales and leaseholders 27-Mar-2020

Summary: The complaint is about the Council reclaiming a ‘right to buy’ discount when Mrs X sold her home. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because Mrs X can go to court.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (19 019 083)

Statement Upheld Council house sales and leaseholders 25-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s aborted purchase of her former council property. This is because we are satisfied with the Council’s actions to remedy the complaint.

London Borough of Southwark (19 017 438)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council house sales and leaseholders 06-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council gave him wrong information in 2013 which led to him withdrawing his Right to Buy application. This is because the complaint is late, it is unlikely we could add anything to the Council’s response, and there is not enough evidence of fault causing injustice.

Basildon Borough Council (19 017 633)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council house sales and leaseholders 28-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of her right to buy application. This is because it is reasonable for Miss X to issue statutory notices of delay or to take the matter to court. The Ombudsman has no powers to consider the part of Miss X’s complaint about disrepair to her home.

Thanet District Council (18 015 305)

Statement Upheld Council house sales and leaseholders 27-Feb-2020

Summary: The Council took around nine months longer than it reasonably should have to complete the sale of the leasehold interest on Mrs B’s council flat under the Right to Buy Scheme. This meant Mrs B was paying rent when she should have been paying the mortgage towards her house purchase; she incurred more solicitor’s costs. The Council will pay Mrs B an amount equivalent to the rent paid during the period of delay and a further £300 in recognition of the time and trouble its actions caused her. The Council will review its processes, so delays do not recur.

Leicester City Council (19 014 629)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council house sales and leaseholders 20-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s administration of a right to buy application. This is because the injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, it is unlikely we could add to any previous investigation by the Council and we are satisfied with the action it has taken.

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council (19 016 106)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council house sales and leaseholders 17-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his right to buy application. This is because it is reasonable for Mr X to issue statutory notices of delay or to take the matter to court.

Brentwood Borough Council (19 015 114)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council house sales and leaseholders 13-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs Q’s complaint about the Council’s alleged failure to respond to her query about council properties sold under the Right to Buy. This is because the injustice she has suffered is not significant enough to justify an investigation.

Royal Borough of Greenwich (19 006 775)

Statement Not upheld Council house sales and leaseholders 07-Feb-2020

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to make her aware of the ‘cost floor policy’ when advertising the property she moved into as part of its allocations scheme. She said this caused her to lose her Right to Buy discount. There was no fault in the Council’s actions.

Sedgemoor District Council (19 014 700)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council house sales and leaseholders 07-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman should not pursue this complaint about the Council’s management of housing tenancy matters and its handling of Mr B’s ‘right to buy’ claim. Part of the complaint is outside the Ombudsman’s power and the other part is late.