Section 16-1517. PRE-HEARING SETTLEMENT CONFERENCES AND CONSENT DECREES

 

1517.1The Office of Adjudication may, without delaying its hearing or decision, attempt to settle a case, and may permit any stipulation or consent decree the parties agree upon.

 

1517.2Approval by the Office of Adjudication shall be required for any consent decree among the parties entered into at any time after the filing of a petition in accordance with §1503.4.

 

1517.3A consent decree may order redress through contract damages, restitution of money, time, property or other value received from the consumer by the respondent, or through rescission, reformation, repair, replacement or other just method.

 

1517.4A consent decree may require the respondent to pay the Department its costs for investigation, negotiation, and hearing.

 

1517.5If a settlement is reached five (5) or more days prior to the hearing date, the Office of Adjudication, at its option, may waive all costs involved in investigation and negotiation.

 

1517.6The Office of Adjudication, in its discretion, upon its own motion or at the request of one (1) or more parties, may hold a prehearing conference to consider the following:

 

(a)The simplification of issues;

 

(b)The necessity or desirability of amendments to the pleadings;

 

(c)The possibility of obtaining admissions of fact and of the genuineness of documents which will avoid unnecessary proof; or

 

(d)Any other matters as may aid in the disposition of the action.

 

1517.7The pre-hearing conferences may be called with notice of five (5) days or more to the parties.

 

source

Final Rulemaking published at 33 DCR 6176, 6185 (October 10, 1986).