The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council assured him he would not be transferred from the Business Rates List to the Council Tax List, if he suspended his business for one year. This is because Mr X no longer wishes to proceed with his complaint.
The complaint
Mr X complains the Council assured him he would not be transferred from the Business Rates List to the Council Tax List if he suspended his business for one year. He says he was given this assurance in writing by the Council, but the Council still transferred him to the Council Tax List.
Mr X has been seeking a refund of the Council Tax he paid to be refunded, since May of this year. The Council has repaid all but £500 which he says he will write off as a cost to his business. And, that he has separately and without any help from the Council, had his holiday let transferred back to the Business List by the Valuation Office Agency.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse effect 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 an investigation if we decide the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant.
Final decision
We will not investigate because Mr X no longer wishes to proceed with the complaint.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman