Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a penalty charge notice as any fault has not caused Mr X sufficient injustice to justify our further action.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains he made representations against a parking penalty charge notice (PCN) the Council issued to him In August 2024, and provided further supporting evidence, it requested from him, in October 2024. Mr X says he has heard nothing further since, despite having sent a chaser letter and a complaint.

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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 fault has not caused significant injustice to the person who complained (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. I recognise Mr X’s dissatisfaction from not being told the outcome of his challenge to the PCN and not receiving responses to his other contact with the Council about this. However, we will not investigate as I do not consider this injustice is significant enough to justify our further action. We have limited resources and must direct them to the most serious cases. This is not such a case.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because any fault has not caused him a level of injustice that would warrant our further action.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman