31 CFR § 501.707 - Response to Prepenalty Notice.

(a) Deadline for response.

(1) The respondent shall have 60 days after the date of service of the Prepenalty Notice pursuant to § 501.705(a) to respond thereto. The response, signed and dated, shall be served as provided in § 501.705(b).

(2) In response to a written request by the respondent, the Director may, at his or her discretion for the purpose of conducting settlement negotiations or for other valid reasons, grant additional time for a respondent to submit a response to the Prepenalty Notice.

(3) The failure to submit a response within the time period set forth in this paragraph (a), including any additional time granted by the Director, shall be deemed to be a waiver of the right to respond to the Prepenalty Notice.

(b) Form and contents of response—(1) In general. The response need not be in any particular form, but must be typewritten and contain the heading “Response to Prepenalty Notice” and the Office of Foreign Assets Control identification number shown near the top of the Prepenalty Notice. It should be responsive to the allegations contained therein and set forth the nature of the respondent's admission of the violation, or defenses and claims for mitigation, if any.

(i) The response must admit or deny specifically each separate allegation of violation made in the Prepenalty Notice. If the respondent is without knowledge as to an allegation, the response shall so state, and such statement shall constitute a denial. Any allegation not specifically addressed in the response shall be deemed admitted.

(ii) The response must set forth any additional or new matter or arguments the respondent seeks, or shall seek, to use in support of all defenses or claims for mitigation. Any defense the respondent wishes to assert must be included in the response.

(iii) The response must accurately state (for each respondent, if applicable) the respondent's full name and address for future service, together with a current telephone and, if applicable, facsimile machine number. If respondent is represented, the representative's full name and address, together with telephone and facsimile numbers, may be provided instead of service information for the respondent. The respondent or respondent's representative of record is responsible for providing timely written notice to the Director of any subsequent changes in the information provided.

(iv) Financial disclosure statement requirement. Any respondent who asserts financial hardship or an inability to pay a penalty shall include with the response a financial disclosure statement setting forth in detail the basis for asserting the financial hardship or inability to pay a penalty, subject to 18 U.S.C. 1001.

(2) Settlement. In addition, or as an alternative, to a written response to a Prepenalty Notice, the respondent or respondent's representative may seek settlement of the alleged violation(s). See § 501.710. In the event of settlement prior to the issuance of a Penalty Notice, the claim proposed in the Prepenalty Notice will be withdrawn and the respondent will not be required to make a written response to the Prepenalty Notice. In the event no settlement is reached, a written response to the Prepenalty Notice is required pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section.