Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a council tax account. This is because the Council has provided an appropriate remedy for the injustice. We will not investigate Mr X’s late complaints as there are no good reasons for this.

The complaint

1. Mr X says the Council has mishandled council tax billing for a property he and his wife own. He says the Council sent bills to Mrs X at the wrong address, and it took court action without her knowledge. This led to an enforcement agent visiting their home in June 2025. He complains the Council has made similar errors several times over the last five years. This caused them stress and anxiety.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended).
3. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended).

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council. I also considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

5. Mr X complained to the Council regarding the matters in paragraph 1.
6. The Council replied that it had not updated Mrs X’s address in error after it received Mr X’s notification. It had corrected this and removed the summons and enforcement agent action. It apologised and said it had provided feedback to an officer. However, it did not agree it should pay a financial remedy. The Council said that it could not look at complaints about matters that happened more than 12 months ago. But it confirmed there were no court fees for Mr and Mrs X’s accounts.
7. We will not investigate this complaint because the Council has taken appropriate action to remedy the injustice caused due to its fault. It has apologised, corrected the account, removed the summons and taken steps to prevent the same mistake happening again. We would not seek any additional remedy if we were to investigate.
8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaints about the Council’s errors more than 12 months before his complaint to the Ombudsman. This is because the complaints are late and there is not good reason for this.

Back to top

Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council has provided a suitable remedy. We will not investigate the late complaints.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman