The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council delay in refunding Mr X with money he paid for a penalty charge notice. This is because the Council has told me the payment is now being processed and will be paid within ten days. I am satisfied with this action.
The complaint
Mr X complains he has been waiting for over a month for the Council to issue him with a refund, due back to him, for a payment he had made for a penalty charge notice (PCN).
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions a council has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
The Council has told me the delay in making the payment was due to a discrepancy between the name and address details for the bank account provided by Mr X and his own personal details. The Council says this issue has now been resolved; payment is being processed and will be made within ten days.
I am satisfied with these actions and as such, I do not consider there are grounds for our further involvement.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council has told me payment will be made within the next ten days.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman