(a) General. Upon obtaining approval from the Department of Justice, the General Counsel or designee may issue a complaint to the respondent. The complaint shall be mailed, by registered or certified mail, or shall be delivered through such other means by which delivery may be confirmed. The complaint shall also be filed simultaneously with the Office of Hearings and Appeals in accordance with § 26.30(a) of this chapter.
(b) Complaint. The complaint shall include:
(1) The allegations of liability against the respondent, including the statutory basis for liability, the claims or statements at issue, and the reasons why liability arises from those claims or statements;
(2) A statement that the required approval to issue the complaint was received from the Department of Justice as required by 24 CFR 28.20;
(3) The amount of penalties and assessments for which the respondent may be held liable;
(4) A statement that the respondent may request a hearing by submitting a written response to the complaint;
(5) The addresses to which a response must be sent in accordance with § 26.38 of this title; and
(6) A statement that failure to submit an answer within 30 days of receipt of the complaint may result in the imposition of the maximum amount of penalties and assessments sought without right of appeal.
(c) Parts 26 and 28. A copy of this part 28 and part 26, subpart B of this chapter, shall be included with the complaint.
(d) Obligation to preserve documents. Upon receipt of the complaint, the respondent is required to preserve and maintain all documents and data, including electronically stored data, within their possession or control that may relate to the allegations in the complaint. The Department shall also preserve such documents or data upon the issuance of the complaint.
[73 FR 76832, Dec. 17, 2008, as amended at 87 FR 8197, Feb. 14, 2022]