The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about delays in completing the surrender and reassignment of a lease. The complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. It is made too late.
The complaint
The complainant, I shall call Mr X, complains the Council delayed in the surrender and assignment of a lease in 2019.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because he has known of the delay since 2019. The complaint is therefore more than 2 months late. I have seen no reason why he could not have complained to us earlier.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman