Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to respond to Mr X’s representations against a penalty charge notice. This is because the Council’s actions did not cause Mr X significant injustice.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council failed to respond to his representations against a penalty charge notice (PCN).

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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 effect 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 an investigation if we decide the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. We do not investigate all the complaints we receive. In deciding whether to investigate we need to consider various tests. These include the alleged injustice to the person complaining. We only investigate the most serious complaints.
6. I appreciate Mr X is unhappy the Council did not respond to his representations but he has paid the PCN at the discounted rate of £65 and this amount is not significant enough to warrant further investigation.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate this complaint. This is because the injustice Mr X claims is not significant enough to warrant investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman