London Borough of Tower Hamlets (19 016 722)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Parking and other penalties 05-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about a penalty charge notice issued by the Council. This is because it would have been reasonable for her to appeal. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaints about the Council’s enforcement agents as the Information Commissioner is better placed to deal with the matter.

Herefordshire Council (19 015 566)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Parking and other penalties 04-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr D’s complaint about line markings. The matter has now been resolved and further consideration of the complaint would not achieve any more for Mr D.

London Borough of Lambeth (19 006 872)

Statement Not upheld Parking and other penalties 03-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr C says the Council provided no evidence that he was liable for a parking ticket. He says the Council’s website was not working when he tried to use it. He says the chief executive has ignored his letters. He says this has caused him the injustice of an unproven parking ticket. The Council was not at fault. Mr C did not provide evidence to show he was not liable. The Council’s responded to Mr C’s complaints satisfactorily.

London Borough of Waltham Forest (19 009 473)

Statement Upheld Parking and other penalties 03-Feb-2020

Summary: Miss X complains that Council enforcement agents were aggressive towards her when enforcing a penalty notice she was not liable for. The Council failed to investigate her allegations until Miss X came to the Ombudsman. The Council was at fault. While, I do not have evidence the enforcement agents used by the Council were aggressive, the Council should have investigated the allegations and the information provided by Miss X showing she was not liable for the debt. Its approach caused her an injustice as she had to come to the Ombudsman before the Council properly assessed the information she provided. The Council has accepted some fault and refunded the fine. It says it has also refunded any fee Mrs X paid to the enforcement agents. I have also recommended it completes an audit on how it has dealt with other complaints.

London Borough of Newham (19 012 859)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Parking and other penalties 03-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about two penalty charge notices issued by the Council for parking contraventions. The Council has refunded money paid by the complainant for one penalty charge notice. There is no evidence of any fault by the Council in its handling of the second. The complainant also had a right of appeal against each penalty charge notice.

Gloucestershire County Council (19 014 032)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Parking and other penalties 03-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr B complains about the Council’s provision of resident parking spaces in the parking zone in which his property is sited. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint because an investigation is unlikely to add to that already carried out by the Council or lead to a different outcome.

Birmingham City Council (19 014 610)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Parking and other penalties 03-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr C complained that the Council had issued him with a Penalty Charge Notice in error. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because it is late since the incident occurred in 2014. Moreover, there is an alternative body that deals with Penalty Notice Charges appeals which it would have been reasonable for the PCN recipient to use.

Transport for London (19 016 001)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Parking and other penalties 03-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Ms X’s complaint about Transport for London’s escalation of three penalty charge notices. This is because Ms X has put the matter to the Traffic Enforcement Centre at Northampton County Court.

London Borough of Bexley (19 014 975)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Parking and other penalties 01-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Mr B’s complaint that the Council was at fault in issuing him with a Penalty Charge Notice. This is because he has used his right to appeal.

Nottingham City Council (19 005 533)

Statement Not upheld Parking and other penalties 31-Jan-2020

Summary: Mr C says the Council’s civil enforcement agent should not have sold his car to recover a debt because he needed it for his work and the car was of low value. He also says the Council should have considered the fact that he has a child with a medical condition. The Council was not at fault either for its own or its agent’s actions. Both acted lawfully in recovering the debt.