Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about enforcement agent action regarding a penalty charge notice as the Council has provided the outcome the complainant sought, that is, to ensure the debt was cancelled.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains the Council’s enforcement agents wrongly contacted her after she had paid a penalty charge notice (PCN). Mrs X says this caused her stress and that she wants the Council to cancel the debt and disengage its enforcement agents (EAs).

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate 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 continue an investigation if we decide the complaint has been resolved (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

5. In a message to us, the Council has acknowledged that Mrs X was wrongly contacted by its EAs after she had paid the fine. The Council says it is looking into what went wrong with a view to ensuring the error does not happen again but that it can assure Mrs X she will receive no further contact about it.
6. As this is the outcome Mrs X sought, I do not consider there are grounds for our further action.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because the matter is now resolved.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman