The FCA has cancelled the Part 4A permissions of Liverpool-based claims management company MJL Focus Marketing (FRN 837145) after concluding that it was not a “a fit and proper person.”

MJLFM was registered with the FCA on 1 April 2019 and authorised by the Authority on 25 June 2020 to conduct regulated claims management activities.

However, soon after authorisation a member of the public complained that the firm was impossible to contact and despite several conversations with the FCA the firm failed to publish new contact details.

In a final notice published this week the FCA said: “Specifically, MJLFM has failed to be open and co-operative in all its dealings with the Authority, and as a result, the Authority is not satisfied that MJLFM’s business is being, or will be, managed in such a way as to ensure that its affairs will be conducted in a sound and prudent manner.”

The FCA was notified by a consumer in September 2020 that the firm could not be contacted by telephone, website or post.

Consequently the regulator told MJLFM by email to update its firm details attestation (FDA). It discussed the matter with the firm six times by phone over the next three months but it still failed to act.

The FCA tried to contact the firm several times again over the six months between December 2020 and July 2021 but was unsuccessful. Eventually letters sent to its registered address in December 2021 were returned marked ‘no longer at this address.’

At that point the regulator concluded the firm, “had failed to co-operate with the Authority.” It revoked its permissions on 26 February.

According to Companies House records the business was incorporated in 2014 with Michael Joseph Lunt its director. Mr Lunt was also a director of nine other Liverpool businesses, three of which are now dissolved but shared the same address as MJL Focus Marketing. They were GW Event Management, JPM Waste Management and Platinum Party Management.

According to the official records, Mr Lunt remains an active director of MJLFM along with a company called Green Wolf Entertainment. Other companies he was a director of but that are now dissolved included GT Law Walton Vale, Irwin Lunt, Green Wolf Promotions, UK Flight Delay Recovery, GW Event Mangement [sic] and GW Digital.