24 C.F.R. Subpart D—Informal and Formal Presentations of Views, Hearings and Investigations
Title 24 - Housing and Urban Development
(a) This subpart sets out procedures to be followed when an opportunity to present views provided for in the Act is requested by an appropriate party. Section 3282.152 provides for two types of procedures that may be followed, one informal and nonadversary, and one more formal and adversary. Section 3282.152 also sets out criteria to govern which type of procedure will be followed in particular cases. (b) The procedures of §3282.152 also apply to: (1) Proceedings held by the Secretary whenever the suspension or disqualification of a primary inspection agency, which has been granted final approval, is recommended under §3282.356 of these regulations, and (2) Resolution of disputes where an SAA or manufacturer disagrees with a determination of a DAPIA under §3282.361 that a manufactured home design does or does not conform to the standards or that a quality assurance manual is or is not adequate with a decision by an IPIA to red tag or not to red tag or to provide or not to provide a certification label for a manufactured home under §3282.362 when the IPIA believes that the manufactured home does or does not conform to the standards. (c) The procedures set out in §3282.152 shall also be followed whenever State Administrative Agencies hold Formal or Informal Presentations of Views under §3282.309. (d) To the extent that these regulations provide for Formal or Informal Presentations of Views for parties that would otherwise qualify for hearings under 24 CFR part 24, the procedures of 24 CFR part 24 shall not be available and shall not apply. [41 FR 19852, May 13, 1976, as amended at 51 FR 34467, Sept. 29, 1986; 61 FR 10442, Mar. 13, 1996] (a) Policy. All Formal and Informal Presentations of Views under this subpart shall be public, unless, for good cause, the Secretary determines it is in the public interest that a particular proceeding should be closed. If the Secretary determines that a proceeding should be closed, the Secretary shall state and make publicly available the basis for that determination. (b) Request. Upon receipt of a request to present views and evidence under the Act, the Secretary shall determine whether the proceeding will be a Formal or an Informal Presentation of Views, and shall issue a notice under paragraph (c) of this section. (c) Notice. When the Secretary decides to conduct a Formal or an Informal Presentation of Views under this section, the Secretary shall provide notice as follows: (1) Except where the need for swift resolution of the question involved prohibits it, notice of a proceeding hereunder shall be published in the (2) The notice, whether published or mailed, shall include a statement of the time, place and nature of the proceeding; reference to the authority under which the proceeding will be held; a statement of the subject matter of the proceeding, the parties and issues involved; and a statement of the manner in which interested persons shall be afforded the opportunity to participate in the hearing. (3) The notice shall designate the official who shall be the presiding officer for the proceedings and to whom all inquiries should be directed concerning such proceedings. (4) The notice shall state whether the proceeding shall be held in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (f)—(Informal Presentation of Views) or paragraph (g)—(Formal Presentation of Views) of this section, except that when the Secretary makes the determinations provided for in sections 623 (d) and (f) of the Act, the requirements of paragraph (g) of this section shall apply. In determining whether the requirements of paragraph (f) or those of paragraph (g) of this section shall apply the Secretary shall consider the following: (i) The necessity for expeditious action; (ii) The risk of injury to affected members of the public; (iii) The economic consequences of the decisions to be rendered; and (iv) Such other factors as the Secretary determines are appropriate. (d) Department representative. If the Department is to be represented by Counsel, such representation shall be by a Department hearing attorney designated by the General Counsel. (e) Reporting and transcription. Oral proceedings shall be stenographically or mechanically reported and transcribed under the supervision of the presiding officer, unless the presiding officer and the parties otherwise agree, in which case a summary approved by the presiding officer shall be kept. The original transcript or summary shall be a part of the record and the sole official transcript, or summary. A copy of the transcript or summary shall be available to any person at a fee established by the Secretary, which fee the Secretary may waive in the public interest. Any information contained in the transcript or summary which would be exempt from required disclosure under §3282.54 of these regulations may be protected from disclosure if appropriate under that section upon a request for such protection under §3282.54(c). (f) Informal presentation of views. (1) An Informal Presentation of Views may be written or oral, and may include an opportunity for an oral presentation, whether requested or not, whenever the Secretary concludes that an oral presentation would be in the public interest, and so states in the notice. A presiding officer shall preside over all oral presentations held under this subsection. The purpose of any such presentation shall be to gather information to allow fully informed decision making. Informal Presentations of Views shall not be adversary proceedings. Oral presentations shall be conducted in an informal but orderly manner. The presiding officer shall have the duty and authority to conduct a fair proceeding, to take all necessary action to avoid delay, and to maintain order. In the absence of extraordinary circumstances, the presiding officer at an oral Informal Presentation of Views shall not require that testimony be given under an oath or affirmation, and shall not permit either cross-examination of witnesses by other witnesses or their representatives, or the presentation of rebuttal testimony by persons who have already testified. The rules of evidence prevailing in courts of law or equity shall not control the conduct of oral Informal Presentations of Views. (2) Within 10 days after an Informal Presentation of Views, the presiding officer shall refer to the Secretary all documentary evidence submitted, the transcript, if any, a summary of the issues involved and information presented in the Informal Presentation of Views and the presiding official's recommendations, with the rationale therefor. The presiding officer shall make any appropriate statements concerning the apparent veracity of witnesses or the validity of factual assertions which may be within the competence of the presiding officer. The Secretary shall issue a Final Determination concerning the matters at issue within 30 days of receipt of the presiding officer's summary. The Final Determination shall include: (i) A statement of findings, with specific references to principal supporting items of evidence in the record and conclusions, as well as the reasons or bases therefor, upon all of the material issues of fact, law, or discretion as presented on the record, and (ii) An appropriate order. Notice of the Final Determination shall be given in writing and transmitted by certified mail, return receipt requested, to all participants in the presentation of views. The Final Determination shall be conclusive, with respect to persons whose interests were represented. (g) Formal presentation of views. (1) A Formal Presentation of Views is an adversary proceeding and includes an opportunity for the oral presentation of evidence. All witnesses shall testify under oath or affirmation, which shall be administered by the presiding officer. Participants shall have the right to present such oral or documentary evidence and to conduct such cross-examination as the presiding officer determines is required for a full and true disclosure of facts. The presiding officer shall receive relevant and material evidence, rule upon offers of proof and exclude all irrelevant, immaterial or unduly repetitious evidence. However, the technicalities of the rules of evidence prevailing in courts of law or equity shall not control the conduct of a Formal Presentation of Views. The presiding officer shall take all necessary action to regulate the course of the Formal Presentation of Views to avoid delay and to maintain order. The presiding officer may exclude the attorney or witness from further participation in the particular Formal Presentation of Views and may render a decision adverse to the interests of the excluded party in his absence. (2) Decision. The presiding officer shall make and file an initial written decision on the matter in question. The decision shall be filed within 10 days after completion of the oral presentation. The decision shall include: (i) A statement of findings of fact, with specific references to principal supporting items of evidence in the record and conclusions, as well as the reasons or bases therefor, upon all of the material issues of law or discretion presented on the record, and (ii) An appropriate order. The presiding officer's decision shall be final and shall constitute the Final Determination of the Secretary unless reversed or modified within 30 days by the Secretary. Notice of the Final Determination shall be given in writing, and transmitted by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to all participants in the proceeding. The Final Determination shall be conclusive with respect to persons whose interests were represented. [41 FR 19852, May 13, 1976, as amended at 51 FR 34467, Sept. 29, 1986] (a) Any interested persons may participate, in writing, in any Formal or Informal Presentation of Views held under the provisions of paragraph (f) or (g) of §3282.152. The presiding officer shall, to the extent practicable, consider any such written materials. (b) Any interested person may participate in the oral portion of any Formal or Informal Presentation of Views held under paragraphs (f) and (g) of §3282.152 unless the presiding officer determines that participation should be limited or barred so as not unduly to prejudice the rights of the parties directly involved or unnecessarily to delay the proceedings. [51 FR 34468, Sept. 29, 1986] Any person entitled to a Formal or an Informal Presentation of Views under paragraph (f) or paragraph (g) of §3282.152 in order to address issues as provided for in §3282.151(a) may petition the Secretary to initiate such a Presentation of Views. The petition may be accompanied by a request that the Secretary provide appropriate interim relief pending the issuance of the final determination or decision. No interim relief will be granted unless there is a showing of extraordinary cause. Upon receipt of a petition, the Secretary shall grant the petition and issue the notice provided for in §3282.152(b) for Formal or Informal Presentation of Views, and may grant, deny or defer decision on any request for interim relief. [51 FR 34468, Sept. 29, 1986] The procedures for investigations and investigational proceedings are set forth in part 3800 of this chapter. [61 FR 10442, Mar. 13, 1996] (a) Any person may petition the Secretary in writing to open an investigation into whether noncompliances, defects, serious defects, or imminent safety hazards exist in manufactured homes. A petition shall include the reasons that the petitioner believes warrant an investigation, and it shall state any steps which have previously been taken to remedy the situation. The petition shall include all information known to the petitioner concerning the identity of manufactured homes which may be affected and where those manufactured homes were manufactured. The Secretary shall respond to petitions concerning alleged imminent safety hazards and serious defects within 60 days and to petitions alleging the existence of defects or noncompliances within 120 days. (b) Any person may petition the Secretary in writing to undertake an investigation for the purpose of determining whether a primary inspection agency should be disqualified. The petition shall set out all facts and information on which the petition is based and a detailed statement of why such information justifies disqualification. The Secretary shall consider such petitions when making determinations on final acceptance and continued acceptance. The Secretary shall respond to such petition within 120 days.
Title 24: Housing and Urban Development
PART 3282—MANUFACTURED HOME PROCEDURAL AND ENFORCEMENT REGULATIONS
Subpart D—Informal and Formal Presentations of Views, Hearings and Investigations
§ 3282.151 Applicability and scope.
§ 3282.152 Procedures to present views and evidence.
§ 3282.153 Public participation in formal or informal presentation of views.
§ 3282.154 Petitions for formal or informal presentations of views, and requests for extraordinary interim relief.
§ 3282.155 Investigations.
§ 3282.156 Petitions for investigations.
