OAR 123-001-0725: Steps and Reservations of the Department

(1) As described in OAR 123-001-0700, the Department shall send notice to the applicant, such that: (a) The Department sends notice by registered or certified mail; (b) If a copy is sent also by regular, first-class mail, it must be so mailed at least five days prior to the notice as described in subsection (a) of this section; and (c) The Department shall also furnish a copy to the Department of Revenue/county assessor as relevant. (2) The notice, on Department letterhead, shall include but is not limited to the following: (a) The date and other pertinent facts of the Department’s receipt of the application; (b) Brief explanation of why the Department is unable to approve it; (c) Reference to the specifically relevant statutory subsection(s) or administrative rule section(s), and further explanation, as warranted, regarding how these references support the Department’s conclusion(s); (d) Statement of the applicant’s right to a contested case hearing on the matter before an administrative law judge and to be represented by legal counsel; (e) Designation of the Department’s current file on the application as the record for purposes of proving a prima facie case upon default; and (f) Instruction on how the applicant must file a written request in order to receive the hearing, such that the request is received by the Department on or before a specified date not less than 30 calendar days after the Notice. (3) The Department reserves the option (at its sole discretion) to withdraw the proposed denial and grant certification to the applicant for any reason, prior to a final order, including but not limited to the re-submission of a new application or the consideration of evidence that alters the Department’s prior conclusion(s), as otherwise allowed under the applicable laws. (4) Upon default by the applicant, including but not limited to failure to timely file a request for a hearing with the Department, the Department shall promptly issue a final order denying certification, furnishing a copy to the Department of Revenue/county assessor as relevant. (5) If the applicant files a timely request for a contested case hearing, the case shall be referred to the Office of Administrative Hearings and a copy of the referral furnished to the applicant, General Counsel and the Department of Revenue/county assessor as relevant. (6) The administrative law judge will issue a proposed order, pursuant to applicable proceedings of the contested case hearing, and except as set forth in subsection (7)(a) or (b) of this rule, that proposed order shall become final by order of the administrative law judge not less than 45 calendar days after the issuance of the proposed order. (7) A proposed order in section (6) of this rule shall not become final if: (a) The Department gives timely written notification to the parties and the administrative law judge of its intent to alter the findings or effect of the order, subsequent to which it shall issue an amended proposed order and/or final order, as warranted. (b) Within 30 calendar days from issuance of the proposed order, a party files written exceptions with both the Department and the administrative law judge that concisely present the party’s entire argument against the proposed order, and the Department subsequently requests in writing that the administrative law judge undertake further steps. Such steps include, but are not limited to, an official response to the exceptions or the hearing of new or additional evidence.