Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a council tax account as it is unlikely we can add to what the Council has already said and there is insufficient remaining injustice caused to the complainant to warrant our involvement.

The complaint

1. Ms X is a landlord and complains about how the Council dealt with a council tax account for one of her tenants including billing her for a day when the tenant was liable. Ms X considers the Council had the necessary information to issue a correct bill and wants a reassurance that it will not happen again.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Ombudsman investigates complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Ms X is unhappy the Council sent her letters threatening court action in respect of council tax which her tenant was liable for and complains the Council failed to properly deal with her queries about this.
6. The Council acknowledged it had made an error in respect of liability on the account and that the account should have been held pending Ms X’s query. The Council has apologised to Ms X, corrected the account and given advice to staff to try to avoid a future recurrence.
7. While I recognise Ms X was put to some time and trouble, as the matter is now resolved and the Council has apologised, there is insufficient remaining injustice caused to Ms X to warrant our further involvement. It is also unlikely we can add to what the Council has already said or ensure that this does not happen again.
8. For these reasons, we will not investigate.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because the remaining injustice caused to her is insufficient to warrant our involvement and we cannot add to what the Council has already said.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman