LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about parking penalty charge notices as Mr X could have appealed to London Tribunals.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about corporate services because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about homelessness advice given to Mrs X’s tenant in 2023. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mrs X could not have complained to us sooner.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about despair in her Council property because we cannot investigate complaints about councils acting in their capacity as social landlord. There is insufficient evidence of fault in the Council’s decision-making when it awarded band C on its housing register to justify our involvement.

Summary: Ms Y complains about the handling of Mr X’s homeless application. She says caused unnecessary distress which significantly impacted Mr X’s emotional wellbeing. The Ombudsman finds the Council at fault which caused injustice to Mr X and Ms Y. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Mr X and Y.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to install bollards outside his home or how it has dealt with his application for a vehicle crossover. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about how the Council handled a Local Authority Designated Officer referral and the school’s actions following this. This is because we have not seen any evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a housing application since 2019. We will not exercise discretion to consider events before the complaint to the Council in 2024. These matters occurred outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints about them. There is no evidence to suggest that Mrs X could not have complained to us sooner.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about some lost documents. This is because the Council provided a satisfactory response and there is not enough remaining injustice to require an investigation. In addition, the complainant could complain to the Information Commissioner.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the enforcement of a penalty charge notice as the Council has cancelled it.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council failed to remove her bulky waste she paid to have collected or about the Council’s communication. This is because the Council apologised, refunded Mrs X, and made service improvements. An investigation by the Ombudsman is unlikely to achieve anything further.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions when assessing Miss X’s family. The complaint is about the content of a report which is being considered as part of ongoing court proceedings. The law prevents us considering the matter.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to move a tenant to alternative social housing due to disrepair. This is because we have no power to investigate complaints about the Council acting in its capacity as a social housing landlord.

Summary: We cannot investigate Mr B’s complaint about Council tenancy fraud. This is because we cannot investigate complaints about the management of social housing by councils acting as a social landlord.

Summary: Miss X complained about how a care home commissioned by the Council managed Ms Y’s care. We find the care home failed to keep complete records, causing uncertainty to Miss X. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to recognise the uncertainty caused and act to prevent recurrence.

Summary: We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council has failed to carry out repairs to two of its properties as it is not within our legal remit to do so. We will not investigate Mrs X’s request that the Council pay for repairs she carried out to her property as we cannot achieve the outcome she seeks, and this is a matter for the courts.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a penalty charge notice as it is unlikely we will find fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to take enforcement action regarding several metal structures he believes are unsafe and may breach the Building Regulations. This is because the issue does not cause Mr X significant enough injustice to warrant investigation. As the structures have been in place for more than 10 years they are also likely immune from enforcement action under the Building Regulations.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council has managed its communications with Mr X. This is because investigation into how restrictions were removed would not lead to a different outcome, and how the Council has decided to communicate with Mr X going forward has not caused him a significant enough injustice to justify our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s response to a debt Ms X said the Council owed to her organisation. It would be reasonable to expect Ms X to have pursued this debt through the civil courts.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a request for information. The Information Commissioner’s Office is best placed to consider the matter.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about damage caused to her home by the Council’s waste collection service. This is because it is reasonable to expect her to take the matter to court.

Summary: We found fault on Mr S’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his application for a Landlord Property Improvement Grant. There were periods of delay, a failure to keep him updated, and a failure to exercise discretion to waive the Long-Term Empty Premium for one period. This cost him financially. The agreed action remedies the injustice caused.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Business rates, and housing benefit as part of the complaint is out of time and there is a right of appeal to a Tribunal. There was also a court remedy available.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council refusing an application for a vehicle crossover. The evidence suggests the Council reached its decision properly, so investigation is unlikely to find fault.