Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax recovery action following Mrs X missing a payment. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant investigation.

The complaint

1. Mrs X says the Council wrongly pursued recovery of council tax because it did not advise her that she missed a payment following a summons. As a result, the Council enforcement agent visited and added fees. She says the Council’s online account did not show the arrears.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate 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 continue an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B)).

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

4. Mrs X complained to the Council regarding the matters set out in paragraph 1.
5. The Council replied it had sent a summons in August 2024 when Mrs X missed a payment. The Council agreed a payment plan. Mrs X paid but missed the final payment in March 2025. The Council said it sent a reminder in March advising of the missed payment. As Mrs X did not respond the Council passed the account to its enforcement agent.
6. The Council noted Mrs X said she had not received letter or notices. However, it said its letters were sent to Mrs X’s address and were not returned as undelivered. Therefore, it considered the notices were correctly served. It explained the Council’s online council tax account only showed the unsummoned balance.
7. There is not enough evidence here of fault by the Council to warrant investigation. The Council issued the correct notices and reminders. Mrs X says the Council has not provided evidence the letters were received and it should send them by recorded delivery. However, Councils are not required to send letters by recorded delivery and notices are deemed served by ordinary post, unless there is evidence the letter was undelivered (returned by Royal Mail).
8. The Council has explained the reason the outstanding balance was not shown in Mrs X’s online account. There is no evidence of fault to warrant investigation here.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to justify investigation .

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman