London Borough of Havering (26 009 638)
Category : Transport and highways > Parking and other penalties
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 21 Jul 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council wrongly enforced a traffic penalty charge notice as it is unlikely we will find fault by the Council.
The complaint
- Miss X complains the Council increased the cost of a traffic penalty charge notice (PCN) when it sent her a charge certificate, despite, Miss X says, her having entered into a payment agreement with the Council to pay off the PCN. Miss X says this has caused her stress and a financial burden.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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 not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Miss X paid the first instalment of a payment arrangement to pay off a PCN but made no further payments as she believed the Council would automatically collect the subsequent payments.
- In its complaint responses, the Council explained it was Miss X’s responsibility to ensure payments were made in accordance with the agreed payment schedule. The Council said its instalment system does not provide a facility for automated payments and no indication of such was given when Miss X made her first payment manually. Miss X would have needed to make the further payments the same way.
- I recognise that Miss X has been impacted by the increased PCN cost but we will not investigate as it is unlikely we will find fault by the Council. When the payment arrangement was not complied with, the Council was entitled to continue the enforcement of the PCN, as it explained in its complaint responses to Miss X.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because it is unlikely we will find fault by the Council.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman