(a) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, an employee must file a petition for a hearing that is received by the Office of Hearings and Appeals not later than 20 calendar days from the date of the Department's notice described in § 17.89 if an employee wants a hearing concerning -

(b) The petition must be signed by the employee, must include a copy of HUD's Notice of Intent to Offset Salary, and should admit or deny the existence of or the amount of the debt, or any part of the debt, briefly setting forth any basis for a denial. If the employee objects to the percentage of disposable pay to be deducted from each check, the petition should state the objection and the reasons for it. The petition should identify and explain with reasonable specificity and brevity the facts, evidence, and witnesses that the employee believes support his or her position.

(c) Upon receipt of the petition, the Office of Hearings and Appeals will send the employee a copy of the Salary Offset Hearing Procedures Manual of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

(d) If the employee files a petition for hearing later than the 20 calendar days as described in paragraph (a) of this section, the hearing officer may accept the request if the employee can show that the delay was because of circumstances beyond his or her control or because of failure to receive notice of the filing deadline (unless the employee has actual notice of the filing deadline).