OAR 274-020-0421: Review of Loan Determinations and Other Decisions

(1) Any person adversely affected by a decision of a DVA official may write a letter of complaint to the Director. The Director or other designated official shall prepare and deposit in the ordinary mail, or personally deliver, a written response within 30 days of receipt of the written complaint. (2) If the Director, or other designated official supports the decision, a request may be made for an informal hearing with a designated official at the Salem Central Office of the DVA. (3) A request for an informal hearing shall be addressed to the Director and shall state the nature of the adverse decision, the date of and the person making the decision, and how the person requesting the hearing is adversely affected. A request for an informal hearing must be received by the Director within 60 days of the date of mailing or personal delivery of the response, provided for by section (1) of this rule. If no letter of complaint was ever written, the requirement for a letter of complaint may be waived, and the request for an informal hearing considered if the request is received by the Director within 90 days of the date of the decision leading to the request for an informal hearing. Unless ODVA received written notice of a complaint, the right to a hearing (both informal and contested) shall expire 90 days after the date the complainant had actual knowledge of, or by the exercise of due care would have had knowledge of, the occurrence in dispute. (4) Within 30 days from receipt of a request for an informal hearing, the Director shall, by mail, notify the person making the request of the action taken on the request which may be: (a) Designating an official to conduct an informal hearing; (b) Reversing or modifying the adverse decision; (c) Denying the request. (5) Any denial of a request for an informal hearing shall state the reason for the denial. A request for an informal hearing may be denied if the Director finds: (a) Litigation involving the issue in dispute is pending or imminent; (b) The person making the request is not the person who would directly benefit from a modification or reversal of the adverse decision (not the real party in interest); (c) A modification or reversal of the decision would affect persons who would not be bound by the modification or reversal (the Director is lacking power to resolve the dispute); (d) The request was not received by the Director within the time allowed by section (3) of this rule. (6) If an official is designated to conduct an informal hearing, the person requesting the hearing shall be notified by mail of the name and title of the official designated and the time and place for the hearing. A time for the hearing must be scheduled within 60 days of the hearing request unless otherwise mutually agreed by the parties. (7) After conducting an informal hearing, the designated official shall prepare and submit to the Director for approval a written decision. Within 30 days after conducting an informal hearing, a decision approved by the Director shall be mailed to the person for whom the hearing was conducted. (8) A decision of the designated official, after approval by the Director, shall be final except when, as defined by ORS 183.310(2), a “Contested Case” exists. (9) When a “Contested Case” exists, and a contested case hearing is desired, it must be requested in writing and the request received by the Director within 20 days of the date of the mailing of the decision of the designated official if an informal hearing has been held, or within 20 days of service of the notice in a contested case under ORS 183.415. (10) Contested case hearings will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of ORS 183.413 to 183.470 and the Attorney General’s Model Rules of Procedure, OAR 137-003-0001 to 137-003-0092.