LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council delay in providing her with pre-application planning advice, and it declining to deal with her complaint. The Council’s apology for its delay is a satisfactory outcome and there is insufficient unremedied injustice to warrant an investigation. We do not investigate councils’ complaint-handling where we are not investigating the core issue giving rise to the complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the suitability of her temporary accommodation. It would be reasonable for Mrs X to ask the Council for a suitability review.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions in treating Mr X’s car as an abandoned vehicle and disposing of it. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault by the Council sufficient to warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s removal of his vehicle from a public road to a storage facility and its refusal to refund him the fee he paid to release it. There is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council would not take enforcement action against a neighbouring property causing damage to his own. Ther is not enough evidence of fault in how the Council considered the matter to justify our involvement.

Summary: Ms X complained she has been living in unsuitable accommodation with her child for around nine months and it is affecting their health. We find the Council at fault. We recommend the Council apologise to Ms X, take steps to address issues with her current property, and make a symbolic payment.

Summary: Miss B complained about a delay in finding suitable accommodation for her and her children and the way in which it carried out medical assessment of their housing needs. We found fault in the actions of the Council and consider Miss B lived in unsuitable accommodation for 10 months longer than she should have done. The Council has agreed to pay her £2000 and improve its procedures for the future.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s pursuit of Miss X for unpaid council tax empty property premiums. This is because Miss X has right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal; it would be reasonable for her to use it.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax liability. If Ms X believes she is not liable for the charges, she has a right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: Miss B complained the Council delayed providing her daughter with home to school transport. We find the Council was at fault for the way it dealt with Miss B’s appeal for home to school transport. It was also at fault for how it dealt with Miss B’s complaint about the matter. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

Summary: Mrs X says the Council failed to move her to a suitable property despite accepting the current property is unsuitable for her family. The Council failed to consider the information Mrs X provided about the safety of the eldest child remaining in the property when awarding her banding. Consideration of whether Mrs X qualifies for emergency rehousing, payment to Mrs X and reminder to officers is satisfactory remedy.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss B’s complaint about a Penalty Charge Notice for an alleged parking contravention. This is because it is reasonable for Miss B to put in formal representations to the Council, and if needed, appeal to London Tribunals.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the impact of building work carried out by his landlord to comply with a Council-issued enforcement notice. The Council has appropriately explained it is a private matter between Mr X and his landlord. Any investigation by us would not add to the Council’s or lead to a different outcome.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms Y’s complaint about the Council’s handling of her housing register application. This is because we cannot investigate complaints where court action has been taken and the complaint is late.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the parking permit charging policy adopted by the Council. It is reasonable to expect the complainant to have contacted us sooner and, in any case, there is not enough evidence of fault in the way the Council decided to adopt the policy.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about a court report. The law says we cannot investigate matters that have been considered by the Court.

Summary: There was no fault in how the Council changed Ms X’s priority date on the housing register. The Council was at fault for telling Ms X to apply for a priority she would not qualify for, overlooking a bid, and delay dealing with reviews and complaints. The Council has already remedied some of the injustice caused. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Ms X. The Council is also at fault for failing to give reasonable preference in its allocations scheme to all the groups required by the Housing Act 1996.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the decision to detain a patient under the Mental Health Act, because of concerns they were refusing treatment for their physical health. This is because there was a right to appeal the assessment outcome through a tribunal and it would have been reasonable to use this.

Summary: Mr B complained about how the Council advertised a planning application, matters which were not considered when the Council granted planning permission and about its failure to take enforcement action. There is no evidence fault by the Council affected either the decision to grant planning permission or the decision not to take enforcement action.

Summary: We have discontinued our investigation into Mr B’s complaint about the Council’s social work involvement with his family. It is unlikely we could add to the Council’s own complaint investigation, or the remedial action it proposes.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the suitability of her temporary accommodation. The Council has upheld the complaint and agreed to pay her £800 to remedy the injustice caused.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision Mr X has been overpaid housing benefit. Mr X has used his right of appeal, which is the appropriate route to challenge the decision. We cannot consider the matter.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about highway maintenance because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to decline Mr X’s son’s blue badge renewal application. This is because the Council has agreed to resolve the complaint early by providing a proportionate remedy for the injustice caused to Mr X by the likely fault.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has wrongly calculated a woman’s entitlement to housing benefit. This is because the woman has a right of appeal to a statutory tribunal about the Council’s decision in her case.