Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about a Penalty Charge Notice because Ms Y has already appealed to the Traffic Enforcement Centre about the matter.

The complaint

1. Ms Y complained the Council wrongly issued her with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) which she was unaware of until she was contacted by enforcement agents.
2. Ms Y says her vehicle was clamped and she was forced to pay over £500 to have it removed, which placed her in financial difficulty.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. The courts have said that where someone has sought a remedy by way of proceedings in any court of law, we cannot investigate. This is the case even if the appeal did not or could not provide a complete remedy for all the injustice claimed. (R v The Commissioner for Local Administration ex parte PH (1999) EHCA Civ 916)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information Ms Y and the Council provided and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Ms Y made a late witness statement to the Traffic Enforcement Centre, based at Northampton County Court in November 2025 about the matter. The Traffic Enforcement Centre has the power to order the return of the amount paid and to put her back into the appeals process if it wishes. However, as she has used her right to approach the court, we cannot now investigate her complaint.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Ms Y’s complaint because she has already appealed to the Traffic Enforcement Centre about the matter.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman