Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a parking penalty charge notice as the complainant is caused insufficient injustice to warrant our further involvement.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains he was put to time and trouble in dealing with a parking penalty charge notice (PCN) issued to him after he forgot to display his disabled parking badge. Mr X wants the Council to refund him the £35 he paid for the PCN as a token gesture.

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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 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.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X says he received confusing information from the Council after he was issued with a PCN and made several calls to it regarding it. Mr X paid the PCN but would like the Council to refund the £35 he paid as a goodwill gesture.
6. I recognise Mr X remains unhappy about having to deal with this matter but the injustice he describes, from our perspective, does not represent a level of personal harm or loss to him that would warrant our further involvement. We have limited resources and must direct them to the most serious cases, in the public interest.
7. For this reason, we will not investigate.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because he is not caused a level of personal injustice from it to justify our further involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman