538.703—Response to prepenalty notice; informal settlement.
(a) Deadline for response.
The respondent may submit a response to the prepenalty notice within the applicable 30-day period set forth in this paragraph. The Director may grant, at the Director's discretion, an extension of time in which to submit a response to the prepenalty notice. The failure to submit a response within the applicable time period set forth in this paragraph shall be deemed to be a waiver of the right to respond.
(1) Computation of time for response.
A response to the prepenalty notice must be postmarked or date-stamped by the U.S. Postal Service (or foreign postal service, if mailed abroad) or courier service provider (if transmitted to OFAC by courier) on or before the 30th day after the postmark date on the envelope in which the prepenalty notice was mailed. If the respondent refused delivery or otherwise avoided receipt of the prepenalty notice, a response must be postmarked or date-stamped on or before the 30th day after the date on the stamped postal receipt maintained at the Office of Foreign Assets Control. If the prepenalty notice was personally delivered to the respondent by a non-U.S. Postal Service agent authorized by the Director, a response must be postmarked or date-stamped on or before the 30th day after the date of delivery.
(2) Extensions of time for response.
If a due date falls on a federal holiday or weekend, that due date is extended to include the following business day. Any other extensions of time will be granted, at the Director's discretion, only upon the respondent's specific request to the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
(b) Form and method of response.
The response must be submitted in typewritten form and signed by the respondent or a representative thereof. The response need not be in any particular form. A copy of the written response may be sent by facsimile, but the original also must be sent to the Office of Foreign Assets Control Civil Penalties Division by mail or courier and must be postmarked or date-stamped, in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section.
(c) Contents of response.
A written response must contain information sufficient to indicate that it is in response to the prepenalty notice and must identify the Office of Foreign Assets Control identification number listed on the prepenalty notice.
(1)
A written response must include the respondent's full name, address, telephone number, and facsimile number, if available, or those of the representative of the respondent.
(2)
A written response should either admit or deny each specific violation alleged in the prepenalty notice and also state if the respondent has no knowledge of a particular violation. If the written response fails to address any specific violation alleged in the prepenalty notice, that alleged violation shall be deemed to be admitted.
(3)
A written response should include any information in defense, evidence in support of an asserted defense, or other factors that the respondent requests the Office of Foreign Assets Control to consider. Any defense or explanation previously made to the Office of Foreign Assets Control or any other agency must be repeated in the written response. Any defense not raised in the written response will be considered waived. The written response also should set forth the reasons why the respondent believes the penalty should not be imposed or why, if imposed, it should be in a lesser amount than proposed.
(d) Failure to respond.
Where OFAC receives no response to a prepenalty notice within the applicable time period set forth in paragraph (a) of this section, a penalty notice generally will be issued, taking into account the mitigating and/or aggravating factors present in the record. If there are no mitigating factors present in the record, or the record contains a preponderance of aggravating factors, the proposed prepenalty amount generally will be assessed as the final penalty.
(e) Informal settlement.
In addition to or as an alternative to a written response to a prepenalty notice, the respondent or respondent's representative may contact the Office of Foreign Assets Control's Civil Penalties Division as advised in the prepenalty notice to propose the settlement of allegations contained in the prepenalty notice and related matters. However, the requirements set forth in paragraph (g) of this section as to oral communication by the representative must first be fulfilled. In the event of settlement at the prepenalty stage, the claim proposed in the prepenalty notice will be withdrawn, the respondent will not be required to take a written position on allegations contained in the prepenalty notice, and the Office of Foreign Assets Control will make no final determination as to whether a violation occurred. The amount accepted in settlement of allegations in a prepenalty notice may vary from the civil penalty that might finally be imposed in the event of a formal determination of violation. In the event no settlement is reached, the time limit specified in paragraph (a) of this section for written response to the prepenalty notice will remain in effect, unless additional time is granted by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
(f) Guidelines.
Guidelines for the imposition or settlement of civil penalties by the Office of Foreign Assets Control have been codified in the Appendix to 31 CFR part 501, the Reporting, Procedures and Penalties Regulations.
(g) Representation.
A representative of the respondent may act on behalf of the respondent, but any oral communication with the Office of Foreign Assets Control prior to a written submission regarding the specific allegations contained in the prepenalty notice must be preceded by a written letter of representation, unless the prepenalty notice was served upon the respondent in care of the representative.