The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Penalty Charge Notices that were allegedly issued to the wrong person. It would be reasonable for the complainant to appeal against the notices at the London Tribunals.
The complaint
Mr X says he was issued with several Penalty Charge Notices for a motorcycle which he no longer owns.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
The law says we cannot normally investigate a complaint when someone can appeal to a tribunal. However, we may decide to investigate if we consider it would be unreasonable to expect the person to appeal. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(6)(a), as amended) London Tribunals (previously known as the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service) considers parking and moving traffic offence appeals for London.
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Mr X has the right to appeal against the PCNs at the London Tribunals.
The London Tribunal is a free and easy to use service which considers parking and moving traffic offence disputes for London.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it would be reasonable for him to appeal against the Penalty Charge Notices at the London Tribunals.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman