Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a claim for damage to the complainant’s motor vehicle. This is because the complainant has an alternative legal remedy, to pursue a claim of negligence through the courts. And given only the courts can decide whether the Council was negligent and we cannot decide this, it is reasonable to expect them to use their legal remedy.

The complaint

1. X complained the Council declined to accept liability for causing damage to their motor vehicle, because of a poor road surface. X said the Council was already aware of the poor road surface before the incident and therefore was liable to re-imburse them their vehicle repair costs.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. The law says we cannot normally investigate a complaint when someone could take the matter to court. However, we may decide to investigate if we consider it would be unreasonable to expect the person to go to court. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(6)(c), as amended)
4. Negligence claims and interpreting the law around civil liability are generally best decided by a court where the Council does not accept insurance liability. Only a court can decide whether the problem should have been dealt with by the Council before it caused damage to a person’s property, or if it is liable to pay damages for a person’s loss.

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate X’s complaint because they have an alternative legal remedy, through the courts and because only the courts can achieve the outcome they are looking for, it is reasonable to expect them to use this remedy.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman