London Borough of Croydon (25 029 760)
Category : Benefits and tax > Council tax
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 02 Sep 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s late complaint about council tax. This is because there is no good reason Mr X did not bring it to us sooner.
The complaint
- Mr X said his details were fraudulently used in a tenancy agreement, and the Council created a council tax account for a property he had never lived in.
- Mr X complained the Council:
- wrongly proceeded with enforcement action after he had explained the situation; and
- asked him to provide extensive evidence before it amended its records.
- Mr X said this caused emotional distress and he spent a considerable amount of time and effort resolving the matter. He wanted the Council to:
- acknowledge its alleged fault; and
- provide financial compensation.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X complained to the Council regarding the matters in paragraph one, in December 2024. The Council responded to Mr X and removed his council tax liability in January 2025.
- Mr X did not come to us until March 2026, which is outside of the 12-month period for bringing complaints to us.
- The complaint is late and I have seen no good reason to exercise discretion to investigate it now.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about council tax because the complaint is late and there is no good reason Mr X did not bring it to us sooner.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman