Eastleigh Borough Council (21 007 596)
Category : Benefits and tax > Council tax
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 06 Oct 2021
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about council tax banding as this decision is not made by the Council.
The complaint
- Mr X complains the council tax band is incorrect for his flat. Mr X says this is causing him stress and financial worry.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We cannot investigate a complaint where the body complained about is not responsible for the issue being raised. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(1), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Banding decisions are made by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) not the Council. We cannot investigate the VOA and so we cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint.
Final decision
- We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint because the decision he complained about was not made by the Council and we have no legal remit to investigate the body that made the decision, the VOA.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman