Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way Mr X’s council tax account was administered because the matter has been remedied and there is insufficient remaining injustice to warrant investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about the way the Council dealt with his council tax payment.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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)
3. The Ombudsman investigates complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Mr X (a landlord) made payments to the Council for a property he let to others. He made a payment which was not then added to the account because the Council says that the payment did not include an administrative digit. The payment was placed on hold. Mr X was sent reminders for the unpaid sum and, after Mr X complained, the payment was corrected and the Council apologised.
7. I am satisfied that the Council’s apology is a sufficient remedy to the complaint. There was no financial loss and there are insufficient remaining grounds to investigate the complaint.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the matter has been remedied and there is insufficient injustice to warrant investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman