Durham County Council (18 017 480)

Statement Not upheld Commercial and contracts 04-Oct-2019

Summary: Mr C says the Council was at fault for insisting he should demolish a garage he rented at the end of his rental agreement. He says he rented the site with a garage already on it and should not have to demolish it. The Council was not at fault. Mr C signed a contract which explicitly required him to demolish the garage. The Council is not at fault for relying on the signed contract.

Coventry City Council (19 005 642)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Commercial and contracts 24-Sep-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the use of a building by an organisation. The complaint is made too late and the complainant can seek a remedy in court.

Birmingham City Council (19 004 808)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Commercial and contracts 20-Sep-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council wrongly said that it had consulted with funeral directors before increasing internment fees as it is unlikely he will find fault by the Council.

London Borough of Southwark (19 005 192)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Commercial and contracts 06-Sep-2019

Summary: Mrs Y complains the Council want her to sign a new agreement to rent her garage on less favourable terms than previously. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint as it is unlikely further investigation will lead to a different outcome.

London Borough of Haringey (19 004 139)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Commercial and contracts 20-Aug-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms X’s complaint that the Council failed to provide the service required in her garage rental agreement and has refused to adequately compensate her for its failings. The complaint is outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction because Ms X has a remedy at court and complains late about the garage repair.

Redcar & Cleveland Council (19 004 184)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Commercial and contracts 19-Aug-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr B’s complaints about the way the Council dealt with a tendering process for clearing waste from a site. The complaint is late, and the significant loss Mr B claims makes this a matter better considered by the courts.

Birmingham City Council (19 001 312)

Statement Not upheld Commercial and contracts 12-Aug-2019

Summary: Mr X complains there was fault in the way the Council dealt with a tender process he took part in. The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint further. It is unlikely we could achieve a worthwhile remedy and Mr X may challenge the decision in court.

East Sussex County Council (18 018 767)

Statement Not upheld Commercial and contracts 05-Aug-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman found no fault by the Council on Mrs L’s complaint of it failing to give clear information about eligibility criteria for a grant. The criteria and limits of the grant were explained to her. It was not the type of finance she arranged that was the problem, but the length of its term. When alerted to this, the Council suggested a possible solution to help her.

Bristol City Council (18 019 536)

Statement Not upheld Commercial and contracts 05-Aug-2019

Summary: Mr X complains the Council wrongly prevented his company from submitting a tender for a CCTV contract in March 2018. The Council did not prevent Mr X from submitting a bid but it did invite three other companies to submit a bid. This action is in line with the Council’s procurement policy. There is no fault either in the Council’s decision to invite direct bids or to use companies other than Mr X’s.

London Borough of Brent (18 016 630)

Statement Not upheld Commercial and contracts 02-Aug-2019

Summary: Mr X complains he is unable to access the garages he rents from the Council due to it failing to take enforcement action against vehicles parked on yellow lines outside of the garages. There is no fault by the Council as the yellow lines are unenforceable.