Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about a penalty charge notice. The Council has cancelled the penalty and therefore there is no worthwhile outcome from us investigating.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains that the Council failed to respond to her complaint about 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 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 there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation. (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 and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. I will not investigate Miss X’s complaint. Since Miss X complained to us the Council has cancelled the PCN so there is no worthwhile outcome for us investigating.
6. It is not a good use of public resources to investigate complaints about complaint procedures, if we are unable to deal with the substantive issue.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is no worthwhile outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman