Brighton & Hove City Council: the register
Ruling 22 010 676
Folio 356
Finding: Fault found
- Finding recorded by the ombudsman
- Upheld
- Service
- Transport and highways: Parking and other penalties
- Council
- Brighton & Hove City Council
- Body
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
- Decided
- Summary
-
Mr B says the Council failed to tell him about court proceedings or give him an opportunity to pay a fine before referring the matter to bailiffs and should not have instructed bailiffs when it knew he was vulnerable. There is no evidence of fault in how the Council managed the case before it referred the matter to bailiffs on the first occasion. There is no evidence the Council properly considered Mr B’s vulnerability before referring the case to bailiffs on the second occasion. The Council’s offer to reinstate the original £30 penalty charge is satisfactory remedy, alongside developing a procedure for dealing with vulnerable debtors.
Summary as published by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Remedies
Words in quotation marks are quoted from the ombudsman’s decision.
States worked out on 9 October 2026.
The ombudsman publishes no entry for a remedy.
| Ordered | Outcome publishedThe ombudsman publishes no entry for a remedy. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | What was ordered | Deadline | Payment | Date | Entry | Payment |
| 1 | Action for the personthe Council should give Mr B a further opportunity to pay the penalty charge notice at £30 and confirm what action it will take if payment is not received within a specified periodDeadline as worded: Within one month of my decision |
Deadline passed 10 May 2023. Outcome not published. | None | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| 2 | Service changethe Council should develop a procedure for dealing with vulnerable debtors, particularly around referring cases to bailiffsDeadline as worded: Within two months of my decision |
Deadline passed 10 June 2023. Outcome not published. | None | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| Stated payments ordered | None stated | Outcomes published by the ombudsman: none | ||||