Summary: We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint about a Penalty Charge Notice for a parking contravention. This is because Mr X has appealed the matter to London Tribunals.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council wrongly imposed a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for a parking contravention.
2. Mr X says this caused frustration.
3. Mr X wants the Council to properly consider his representations and cancel the PCN.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
5. We cannot investigate a complaint if someone has appealed to a tribunal about the same matter. We also cannot investigate a complaint if in doing so we would overlap with the role of a tribunal to decide something which has been, or could have been, referred to it to resolve using its own powers. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(6)(a), as amended)
6. London Tribunals considers parking and moving traffic offence appeals for London.

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How I considered this complaint

7. I considered information provided by Mr X.
8. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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Final decision

9. We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint because he appealed the matter to London Tribunals.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman