Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council charging a fee for the late return of a beach hut key. That is because any injustice is not significant enough to justify investigating.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complained about the Council’s decision to charge her a £75 fee for returning her beach hut key late. She disagrees with the Council’s explanation for why the charge was necessary. She wants the Council to withdraw the charge.

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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. (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 and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Our role is to consider complaints where the person bringing the complaint has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the organisation. This means we will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm, or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. I do not consider the Council’s decision to charge Mrs X a £75 fee is significant enough injustice to justify our involvement.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman