2002.17—Time limitations.
(a)
Upon receipt of a request for records, the appropriate Assistant Inspector General or an appointed designee will determine within twenty (20) working days whether to grant the request. The Assistant Inspector General or designee will notify the requestor immediately in writing of the determination and the right of the person to request a review by the Inspector General of an adverse determination.
(b)
The time of receipt for processing a request for records purposes is the time it is received by the appropriate office for review. If a request is misdirected by the requester, the Office of Inspector General or Department official who receives the request will promptly refer it to the appropriate office and will advise the requester about the delayed time of receipt.
(c)
A determination with respect to a request for review by the Inspector General of HUD under § 2002.25 will be made within 20 working days after receipt and will be communicated immediately to the person requesting review.
(d)
If the Office of Inspector General grants the request for records, the records will be made available promptly to the requester.
(e)
In unusual circumstances as specified in this paragraph, and subject to the concurrence of any Assistant Inspector General or appointed designee, the time limits prescribed in either paragraph (a) or (c) of this section may be extended. Any extension will be in writing to the requester and will include reasons for the extension and the date on which the disposition of the request will be sent. No extension will be for more than ten working days. As used in this paragraph, unusual circumstances means (but only to the extent necessary to the proper processing of the particular request) that there is a need:
(1)
To search for and collect the requested records from field facilities or other establishments that are separate from the office processing the request; or
(2)
To search for, collect, and appropriately examine a voluminous amount of separate and distinct records which are demanded in a single request; or
(3)
For consultation, which shall be conducted with all practicable speed, with another agency having a substantial interest in the determination of the request or among two or more offices of the Office of Inspector General having a substantial interest in the subject matter of the request.
[49 FR 11165, Mar. 26, 1984. Redesignated and amended at 53 FR 37550, 37552, Sept. 27, 1988; 57 FR 2227; Jan. 21, 1992; 59 FR 14097, Mar. 25, 1994; 67 FR 47217, July 17, 2002]