Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s issuing of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs). The Council has now cancelled the PCNs. Further investigation would not achieve anything more.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council wrongly issued him with Penalty Charge Notices (PCN)s. He says the Council used incorrect parking signage and photographs of signs from a different area to where he parked.

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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 has confirmed it has cancelled the PCNs. It is therefore unlikely that further investigation by us would achieve anything more for Mr X.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council’s cancellation of the PCNs achieves the outcome he was seeking. Further investigation would not achieve anything more.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman