LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about unpaid Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) because there is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s or its enforcement agents’ actions to warrant investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a council tax refund because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council has continuously sent him notices of payment, addressed to his late mother, for four years. This is because an investigation would not lead to any further outcomes as the Council has offered an appropriate remedy.

Summary: Ms D complains about delay by the Council resolving an insurance claim. We have decided to end the investigation because Ms D’s case can be dealt with by an alternative organisation.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council delayed deciding his application to join the housing register and wrongly decided he did not meet its local connection requirement. Mr X says he could not bid for advertised properties and has lived with his family in unsuitable conditions for longer than necessary. We have found fault by the Council but consider the agreed action of an apology, symbolic payment and new decision provides a suitable remedy.

Summary: Ms X complains the Council did not deal with her housing properly. The Council delayed assessing her medical needs, did not correctly determine her medical priority and did not inform her of her right to a review of its decision. Ms X had to live in unsuitable accommodation for 18 months. The Council will make a direct offer of housing to Ms X. The Council should also apologise, pay Ms X £3,600 for uncertainty and distress, relieve Ms X’s current housing problems and provide guidance to staff.

Summary: There has been fault by the Council. The Council did not move a family to larger temporary accommodation once it identified they had become statutorily overcrowded after two younger children were born. An apology, payment and a new offer of temporary accommodation remedies the injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to remove a transport assistant from her child’s home to school transport. There is insufficient evidence of fault in the Council’s decision-making to warrant an investigation by the Ombudsman.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Penalty Charge Notices. It was reasonable for Ms X to use her statutory right of appeal to a tribunal.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council was at fault in the course of child protection action relating to the complainant’s son. This is because we would not achieve anything significant by doing so.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council issuing non-domestic rates demands to a business address. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s decision she is not eligible for a parking permit. This is because there is no sign of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that Council refuse collectors are responsible for damage to the complainant’s car. This is because it is reasonable for the complainant to pursue the matter in court.

Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to properly respond to reports of disrepair at her temporary accommodation. Miss X says she lived in unacceptable conditions with water leaks and no heating or hot water for longer than necessary. We have found fault by the Council but consider the agreed action of an apology, symbolic payment, property inspection and review of the oversight of repairs in temporary accommodation provides a suitable remedy.

Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a housing application. this complaint which 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.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council not referring his case to the National Referral Mechanism. It is unlikely we would find this caused him any significant injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s charges for a selective licence for a private landlord. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint the Council did not take steps to address noise nuisance caused by poor sound insulation. We have no jurisdiction to investigate the Council where it is acting as a social landlord.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council delayed processing his housing register application. Mr X said he was unable to bid for properties and has lived in unsuitable conditions for longer than necessary. We have found fault by the Council but consider the agreed action of an apology, symbolic payment, backdating the outcome of the application and a review to identify any missed bidding opportunities provides a suitable remedy.

Summary: The Council was at fault for failing to properly consider whether Miss B’s daughter should receive alternative educational provision while she was not attending school. This means it is unclear whether education was, in light of her individual circumstances, available and accessible to her for a full school term. The Council has agreed to make symbolic payments to recognise the injustice caused to Miss B and her daughter. It will also take steps to improve its service.

Summary: We will not investigate this personal injury claim. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. It is reasonable to expect the complainant to go to court.

Summary: Miss Y complained about the Council’s handling of her homelessness and housing applications, specifically its processing of her change in circumstances. We have found fault by the Council, causing injustice, in: its delays and communication failures processing Miss Y’s change in circumstances; failing to respond properly to her request for a suitability review; failing to move her to suitable temporary accommodation; failing to make proper efforts to fulfil its duties and have an agreed transparent policy for operating its transfer list. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a housing application. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a housing application and maintenance of heating in social rented property. It is reasonable for Mr X to ask the Council to review his housing application banding and we have no jurisdiction not investigate complaints about housing management by social housing landlords.

Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to award her housing application the correct priority banding. We found fault in how the Council awarded bedroom eligibility to Miss X’s application, but this did not prevent her from bidding for properties she was eligible to bid on. We did not find fault in how it considered medical information provided by Miss X. The Council agreed to apologise to Miss X for the fault we found.