Final Notice
FINAL NOTICE
Frn: 784400
Dated: 27 January 2020
ACTION
1.
For the reasons set out in this Final Notice, the Authority hereby takes the following
action against AWCSL.
2.
The Authority issued to AWCSL the Decision Notice which notified it that for the
reasons given below and pursuant to section 55J of the Act, the Authority had
decided to cancel AWCSL’s Part 4A permission.
3. AWCSL has not referred the matter to the Tribunal within 28 days of the date on
which the Decision Notice was issued to it.
4.
Accordingly, the Authority has today cancelled AWCSL’s Part 4A permission.
DEFINITIONS
5.
The definitions below are used in this Final Notice:
“the Act” means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000;
“the Authority” means the Financial Conduct Authority;
“AWCSL” means Auto Wheels Car Sales Ltd;
“AWCSL’s Part 4A permission” means the permission granted by the Authority to
AWCSL pursuant to Part 4A of the Act;
“the Decision Notice” means the Decision Notice issued to AWCSL dated 25 October
2019;
“the Return” means the CCR007 return for the period ended 31 December 2018,
which AWCSL was due to submit to the Authority by 12 February 2019;
“the suitability Threshold Condition” means the Threshold Condition set out in
paragraph 2E of Schedule 6 to the Act;
“the Threshold Conditions” means the threshold conditions set out in Schedule 6
to the Act;
“the Tribunal” means the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber) and
“the Warning Notice” means the Warning Notice issued to AWCSL dated 8 October
2019.
REASONS FOR ACTION
6.
On the basis of the facts and matters and conclusions described in the Warning
Notice and in the Decision Notice, it appears to the Authority that AWCSL is failing
to satisfy the suitability Threshold Condition, in that the Authority is not satisfied
that AWCSL is a fit and proper person having regard to all the circumstances,
including whether AWCSL managed its business in such a way as to ensure that its
affairs were conducted in a sound and prudent manner.
7.
This is because AWCSL has failed to comply with the regulatory requirement to
submit the Return. AWCSL has not been open and co-operative in all its dealings
with the Authority, in that AWCSL has failed to respond adequately to the
Authority's repeated requests for it to submit the Return, and has thereby failed to
comply with Principle 11 of the Authority's Principles for Businesses and to satisfy
the Authority that it is ready, willing and organised to comply with the requirements
and standards under the regulatory system.
8.
These failures, which are significant in the context of AWCSL’s suitability, lead the
Authority to conclude that AWCSL has failed to manage its business in such a way
as to ensure that its affairs are conducted in a sound and prudent manner, that it
is not a fit and proper person, and that it is therefore failing to satisfy the Threshold
Conditions in relation to the regulated activities for which AWCSL was granted a
Part 4A permission.
DECISION MAKER
9.
The decision which gave rise to the obligation to give this Final Notice was made
by the Regulatory Decisions Committee.
IMPORTANT
10.
This Final Notice is given to AWCSL in accordance with section 390(1) of the Act.
Publicity
11.
The Authority must publish such information about the matter to which this Final
Notice relates as the Authority considers appropriate. The information may be
published in such manner as the Authority considers appropriate. However, the
Authority may not publish information if such publication would, in the opinion of
the Authority, be unfair to AWCSL or prejudicial to the interest of consumers.
12.
The Authority intends to publish such information about the matter to which this
Final Notice relates as it considers appropriate.
Authority Contact
13.
For more information concerning this matter generally, please contact Victoria
Oyebanjo at the Authority (direct line: 020 706 64564).
Martin Butcher
Enforcement and Market Oversight Division