Sec. 09.03.12.10. Office of Administrative Hearings

A. Borrower Information Worksheet and Instructions.

(1) With respect to a scheduled prefile mediation session, the Office of Administrative Hearings shall provide the Borrower(s) Information Worksheet and the instructions regarding the documents and information that must be provided by each party to the other and to the Office of Administrative Hearings in a form substantially similar to that in Appendix OAH-1 of this chapter.

(2) With respect to a scheduled postfile mediation session, the Office of Administrative Hearings shall provide the Borrower(s) Information Worksheet and the instructions regarding the documents and information that must be provided by each party to the other and to the Office of Administrative Hearings in a form substantially similar to that in Appendix OAH-2 of this chapter.

B. Housing Counseling.

(1) The certification of housing counseling shall be in the form, and shall be delivered to the Office of Administrative Hearings at the time, required by COMAR 05.19.02.02.

(2) At the option of the secured party, a borrower who fails to deliver the housing counseling certification may sign a borrower certification of housing counseling in a form substantially similar to that in Appendix OAH-5 of this chapter.

(3) At the option of the secured party, the secured party may waive the housing counseling certification at the prefile mediation session by signing the waiver of housing counseling in a form substantially similar to that in Appendix OAH-6 of this chapter.

(4) Housing counseling services provided in accordance with Real Property Article, §7-105.1(d)(10), Annotated Code of Maryland, shall comply with the National Industry Standards for Foreclosure Counseling created by the Advisory Council for the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling.

C. Mediation Checklist.

(1) The mediation checklist required by Real Property Article, §7-105.1(d)(10), Annotated Code of Maryland, to be used in a prefile mediation shall be in a form substantially similar to that in Appendix OAH-3 of this chapter and may, as applicable, include Appendix OAH-5 or Appendix OAH-6.

(2) The mediation checklist required by Real Property Article, §7-105.1(l), Annotated Code of Maryland, to be used in a postfile mediation shall be in a form substantially similar to that in Appendix OAH-4 of this chapter.

D. Designee Language. Each mediation agreement resulting from prefile mediation shall include the following statements in 14 point, bold type:

[Name of borrower] is not entitled to postfile mediation unless otherwise agreed in this agreement.

[Name of borrower] may call [Insert name and address of designee] to report a change of financial circumstances that could affect [name of borrower's] ability to carry out the terms of this agreement.

E. Appearance.

(1) At a scheduled foreclosure mediation, the secured party, or a representative of the secured party, shall be present in person or by telephonic means for the entirety of the foreclosure mediation in accordance with COMAR 28.02.01.20B.

(2) If the secured party, or a representative of the secured party, fails to appear for the entirety of the foreclosure mediation, then the secured party shall be deemed to have failed to appear pursuant to COMAR 28.02.01.23.

(3) In the case of postfile mediation, if the mediator determines that a party fails to appear at a scheduled foreclosure mediation, then the mediator shall file a notice with the appropriate circuit court stating such a finding.

F. Filing Electronically. The Commissioner may allow the submission of information and documents required for the foreclosure mediation under this regulation by an electronic method.

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