LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s actions in relation to the continuing care needs of a family member. This is because this is now being considered by the Court of Protection.

Summary: We cannot investigate Ms X’s complaint about land ownership. Ms X has appealed to the Tribunal about it which means we do not have the power to investigate.

Summary: We cannot investigate Ms B’s complaint about the Council not issuing her a refund after she was over-charged for water use at her Council tenancy. This is because we cannot investigate complaints about the management of social housing by a council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council treating Mr X as vexatious and allegedly discriminating against him. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to warrant our further involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint that the Council placed her and her children in unsuitable temporary accommodation, which had significant disrepair issues. The Council has accepted the accommodation was unsuitable. It has now agreed to a suitable remedy.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s actions in its child protection involvement with her family. This is because there is no sign of fault in the Council’s decision not to consider her complaint whilst the matter is subject to ongoing court proceedings.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about homelessness support. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

Summary: Mr X complained about how the Council has placed him and his family in an overcrowded and unsuitable temporary accommodation and how it had dealt with disrepairs in the property. There was fault by the Council which has caused injustice to Mr X and his family. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council pursuing him for repayment of a COVID-19 business grant. This is because the complaint is late and the Council has passed the case to a government department which has made its own decision to take action against Mr X. We have no jurisdiction over the department and cannot say the Council must accept he is eligible for the grant. We cannot therefore achieve the outcome Mr X wants.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s involvement with Miss X’s child being removed from her care. The key decisions are for the courts, not just the Council. We cannot investigate the commencement or conduct of court action, or the court’s decision-making.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the application of a Council tax premium because there is a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax liability because there is a right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: Ms X complained about the Council’s failure to provide suitable accommodation for her and her children when they were homeless. We found the Council at fault as they were placed in hotel accommodation for considerably longer than the law permits. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused.

Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council failed to provide her and her family with interim accommodation when she first presented as homeless and later placed them in unsuitable interim accommodation. We found the Council placed the family in unsuitable interim accommodation in a hotel for longer than the law allows. In recognition of the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X and make a payment to her.

Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Miss X’s homeless application from May 2023. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mr X could not have complained to us sooner. We will not investigate a complaint about the suitability of accommodation offered in the past 12 months because it was reasonable for Miss X to ask for a statutory review of the accommodation.

Summary: Miss B complained that the Council has still not found her suitable temporary accommodation following a previous complaint to us. Miss B has now found accommodation in a different part of the country, so we have ended the investigation.

Summary: Mr X complains the Council has not properly dealt with a complaint about the closure of a golf course and that it has wrongly restricted his contact. The Council is not at fault.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decisions on a homelessness application. It is reasonable for Mr X to ask for a review and appeal the revised decision which has not yet been issued.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to ends its housing duty. The Council has agreed to complete a review of that decision. That is a proportionate response to his complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a lack of action on the complainant’s reports of breaches of planning control and building regulations. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s actions to justify an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Penalty Charge Notices because it is reasonable to expect Mrs Y to appeal to the Traffic Enforcement Centre and the London Tribunals.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the complainant’s priority on the housing register. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: Miss X complained the Council is chasing her brother for a Community Care charge debt. Miss X disputes the validity of the debt and says her brother did not receive the care charged for. We found fault with the Council charging for care since July 2017. We did not find fault with the Council charging for care up to this point. The Council agreed to apologise to Miss X and remove all charges from 1 July 2017. The Council also agreed to write to Miss X to confirm the outstanding balance owed and offer an arrangement to repay the remaining outstanding balance owed in instalments.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the possible reasons underlying the Council’s decision not to accept a fostering application from Mr X. We could not make a finding of hidden disability discrimination, which would be better sought from a court. Additionally, the reasons given by the Council for its decision include ones it was entitled to consider in reaching its decision.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a Fixed Penalty Notice for fly tipping. This is because the complainant could have raised a defence in court.