Free Traffic Legal Advice

With an issue date of 11th February, you have until 2nd March to submit an Acknowledgement of Service (AoS). By submitting an AoS, you would then have until 4pm on Tuesday 11th March to submit your defence. If you do not submit an AoS, then you have until 4pm on Monday 17th March to submit the defence.

Subject: Urgent Complaint – Defence Submitted but Ignored; Irregular Default Judgment Must Be Set Aside Without Delay

To: caseprogression.cnbc@justice.gov.uk
Cc: claimresponses.cnbc@justice.gov.uk

Date: [Insert today’s date]

Dear Sirs,

Re: Formal Complaint Regarding Irregular Default Judgment

Claim Number: [Insert claim number]
Claimant: [Insert claimant's name]
Defendant: [Insert your full name]

I am writing to raise an urgent and formal complaint regarding the failure of the Civil National Business Centre (CNBC) to process a defence that was duly filed within the permitted time, resulting in the unlawful entry of a default County Court Judgment (CCJ) against me on 20th March 2025.

The chronology of relevant events is as follows:

• The claim was issued on 11th February 2025.
• I filed an Acknowledgement of Service via MCOL on 17th February 2025.
• I submitted my fully prepared Defence by email to claimresponses.cnbc@justice.gov.uk at 09:43 on 17th February 2025, well within the deadline.
• I received your automatic acknowledgement response at 09:44 on 17th February 2025, confirming receipt of my submission.
• I received no communication from the court until 25th March 2025, when I was shocked to discover that a default CCJ had been entered on 20th March 2025, supposedly on the basis that no defence had been filed.

This default judgment is irregular and must be set aside immediately. The facts are clear: a defence was submitted in time and acknowledged by your systems, but was not processed through no fault of my own. The consequence of this clerical failure is a highly prejudicial court judgment that now appears on the public register and has already caused me considerable distress.

I refer you to an almost identical case in which His Honour Judge Etherington issued the following Order on 7th March 2025:

“Upon the Defendant having filed a Response but the Court Office not processing it;

Upon the Court entering Judgment on 4th March 2025

IT IS ORDERED:

The Judgment be set aside because the Defendant had filed a Response prior to the Court entering Judgment
...

REASONS:
The Judgment was entered at a time when the Defendant had filed a Response.
The Judgment is therefore irregular and must be set aside”

This precedent should be applied to my case without delay and without the need for an N244 application or the payment of any fee. The fault lies squarely with the CNBC and the irregular judgment must be corrected administratively.

I hereby demand that:

• The irregular default judgment be set aside immediately by administrative order.
• A certificate of cancellation be issued without delay.
• Written confirmation be provided that this matter has been corrected.
• An explanation be provided as to how this failure occurred.
• I am informed of what steps will be taken to prevent this from happening again, as I understand it is not an uncommon occurrence.

Please note that I reserve all rights to claim compensation for the stress and inconvenience this error has caused, and to escalate this matter to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman via my MP if a satisfactory and swift resolution is not provided.

I expect a substantive response within 5 working days.

Yours faithfully,

[Your full name]
[Your address]
[Your email address]
[Your phone number]
Claim Number: [Insert again for clarity]