Summary: Mr X complains about the Council’s decision to bill him for council tax from 2010. We will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council causing injustice.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about the Council’s decision to bill him for council tax from 2010.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints of injustice caused by ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. We cannot question whether an organisation’s decision is right or wrong simply because the complainant disagrees with it. We must consider whether there was fault in the way the decision was reached. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)

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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.
5. The complainant had an opportunity to comment on my draft decision.

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My assessment

6. Mr X says that he paid council tax to another tenant on a property he rented between 2010 and 2011. He says that the Council has now pursued him for the council tax he paid the other tenant.
7. Whilst any delay makes a dispute harder to resolve, Mr X is not disputing any liability for council tax but that he paid someone else to make the payment on his behalf. As such, his dispute is a private matter.
8. Mr X says that the Council is legally barred from pursuing a debt over six years. However, the Council has a Liability Order against him which makes such an action legal.

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Final decision

9. I do not intend to investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council causing injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman