| (1) | All hearings in "contested cases," as that term is defined in the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-13-13), shall be conducted by the Office of State Administrative Hearings. All proceedings pending before the Office of State Administrative Hearings shall be governed by its rules and regulations. Chapter 616-1-2 Procedures for Administrative Hearings before Office of State Administrative Hearings Administrative Law Judges. The Board shall initiate all proceedings in contested cases by filing the requisite pleadings with Office of State Administrative Hearings. |
| (2) | When the Board denies an application for classification based on the applicant's failure to meet the other requirements of O.C.G.A. § 43-39A-14, notwithstanding the fact the applicant may have met the other requirements under O.C.G.A. § 43-39A-8, the Board shall notify the applicant of the denial and the applicant shall be offered the opportunity to request a hearing before the Office of State Administrative Hearings. |
| (1) | The following rules govern prehearing and posthearing procedures in "contested cases" pending before the Georgia Real Estate Appraisers Board. The following rules do not apply to matter filed or pending before the Office of State Administrative Hearings. |
| (2) | The Board shall maintain records indicating when it received all papers relating to every proceeding to which these rules apply. |
| (3) | The office of the Board shall be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each weekday except Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, and such other times as the Governor shall declare state offices closed. |
| (4) | All documents, including requests for hearing or review of an initial decision, correspondence, motions, and pleadings related to matters pending before the Board and not pending before the Office of State Administrative Hearings, shall be filed with the Real Estate Commissioner, whose office is located at Suite 1000, International Tower, 229 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30303- 1605. Copies shall be furnished by the party filing said documents to all parties of record, including the attorney representing the Board. |
| (5) | All communications, correspondence, motions, and pleadings in any proceeding shall be deemed to be filed or received on the date on which they are actually received by the Commissioner. |
| (6) | Computation of any period of time referred to in these rules shall begin with the first day following that on which the act which initiates such period of time occurs. When the last day of the period so computed is a day on which the office of the Board is closed, the period shall run until the end of the following business day. When such period of time, with the intervening Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays counted, is seven (7) days or less, the said Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays shall be excluded from the computation; otherwise such days shall be included in the computation. |
| (7) | It shall be within the discretion of the Board to extend, for good cause shown, any time limit prescribed or allowed by these rules. Extensions shall be granted only when the Board is satisfied that good cause has been shown and not otherwise. |
| (8) | Every notice, pleading, motion, or other document filed by a party (other than the Board) represented by an attorney shall be signed by at least one attorney of record in the attorney's individual name and the attorney's address and telephone number shall be stated. A party who is not represented by an attorney shall sign the pleading and state the party's address and telephone number. Except when otherwise specifically provided by rule or statute, pleadings need not be verified or accompanied by affidavit. The signature of an attorney constitutes a certificate by the attorney that the attorney has read the pleading and that it is not interposed for delay. |
| (9) | No person not employed by the Board shall communicate exparte with any member of the Board or any employee of the Board involved in the decisional process with respect to the merits of a contested case. If any ex-parte communication is directed to any person in violation of these rules, all parties shall be immediately informed of the substance of the communication and the circumstances of its receipt; provided, that a request for information with respect to the status of a proceeding shall not be prohibited by this section. |
| (10) | Any applicant/appraiser named as a petitioner/respondent in a notice of hearing shall have the right to obtain a copy of the investigative record pertaining to the applicant/appraiser upon written request. That record shall be available to the applicant/appraiser or the applicant/appraiser's legal counsel at the Board office during regular business hours. Charges for copies of any material from the applicant/appraiser's investigative file shall be at a rate of $.25 per page with a minimum charge of $5.00. Any material from said investigative file to be mailed shall be mailed by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery, return receipt requested, at the applicant/ appraiser's expense. |
| (1) | Service of a proposed or final decision in a contested case shall be by personal delivery or by certified mail or statutory overnight delivery to the last known place of business of the appraiser. All other notices, pleadings, orders, motions, and other documents shall be served by hand delivery or first class mail to the last known address of record with the Board. |
| (2) | Service upon a party's attorney shall be deemed service upon the party. |
| (1) | Upon issuance of an initial decision by the Office of State Administrative Hearings, any party may request a review of the initial decision by filing the request in accordance with the provisions of Rule of the Board within thirty (30) days from the date of filing of the initial decision by the Administrative Law Judge. |
| (2) | Any rejection or modification by the Board of the findings of fact, conclusions of law, or disposition contained in an initial decision shall be supported by written reasons contained in the final decision by the Board. |
| (3) | A party may move that the matter be remanded to the Office of State Administrative Hearings for purposes of taking additional testimony. Such motions shall be filed in accordance with the provisions of Rule of the Board and shall be granted only for good cause shown. The Board shall notify all parties of its action upon the motion. |
| (4) | All motions, briefs or other documents pertaining to matters pending before the Board shall be filed with the Board at least seven days prior to the scheduled hearing date. |
| (5) | All petitions for judicial review shall be filed in accordance with the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act, O.C.G.A. Chapter 50-13 and must be filed in Fulton County Superior Court. |