Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a penalty charge notice. This is because the Council's agreement to cancel the notice provides a suitable remedy for the complaint and it is unlikely investigation would achieve significantly more for Mr X.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about a penalty charge notice (PCN) issued by the Council. He disputes the PCN, says the Council’s civil enforcement officer (parking warden) threw the PCN at him and failed to respond to his challenge. He wants the Council to cancel the PCN.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), 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. The Council agreed to cancel the PCN in response to Mr X’s complaint and has apologised for any inconvenience it caused. This provides a suitable remedy for the complaint and it is therefore unlikely investigation would achieve significantly more for Mr X.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate this complaint. This is because the Council has now cancelled the PCN and this provides a suitable remedy for the complaint.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman