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13 <br />A. At least 10 days prior to the date specified when the Rent Review Officer will take under <br />submission a Fair Return, Capital Replacement, or Rent Reduction application filed <br />pursuant to this Article, or 10 days prior to any appeal hearing, the Mobilehome Owner <br />Representative or the Park Owner may submit a written settlement offer to the other party <br />to settle the claims or requests made in the application and to allow a decision or award to <br />be made in accordance with the terms and conditions stated in the offer. <br />B. The offer shall include a statement of the terms and conditions that the offering party is <br />willing to accept, and a provision that allows the accepting party to indicate acceptance of <br />the offer by signing a statement that the offer is accepted. At the same time that the offering <br />party submits its offer to the other party, the offering party shall also file a copy of the <br />written settlement offer with the Rent Review Officer, or Hearing Officer if on appeal, in a <br />separately sealed envelope, with a statement on the outside of the envelope identifying the <br />offeror and stating that it is a written settlement offer submitted pursuant to this section. The <br />sealed copy of the written settlement offer that is filed with the Rent Review Officer or <br />Hearing Officer if on appeal shall not be opened until it is either timely accepted by the <br />opposing party or, if it is not timely accepted by the opposing party, after the Rent Review <br />Officer or Hearing Officer, as appropriate, has rendered a final decision on the application <br />or appeal. <br />C. Acceptance of the offer must be in writing and shall be signed by the counsel for the <br />accepting party or, if unrepresented by counsel, by the accepting party. <br />D. If the offer is accepted, the parties shall notify the Rent Review Officer, and the Hearing <br />Officer if the application is on appeal, and the Rent Review Officer or Hearing Officer, as <br />appropriate, shall enter the accepted offer as the final decision respecting the application or <br />appeal. <br />E. If the offer is not accepted within seven calendar days of the offer’s receipt by the opposing <br />party, the offer shall be deemed withdrawn and cannot be given in or considered as <br />evidence as part of the Rent Review Officer’s or Hearing Officer’s decision. <br />F. Legal Expenses. If an offer made pursuant to this Section is not accepted and the rejecting <br />party fails to obtain a more favorable award or decision, the rejecting party shall not recover <br />their post-offer Legal Expenses and shall pay the Legal Expenses incurred by the offering <br />party from the time of the offer. If competing offers to settle are timely submitted but have <br />not been timely accepted, the Rent Review Officer or Hearing Officer, as may be <br />appropriate, shall determine which party has failed to obtain a more favorable decision or <br />award and assign responsibility for the payment of legal expenses accordingly. <br />1.The Rent Review Officer or Hearing Officer shall mail and email to the parties a <br />notice of assignment of Legal Expense liability (“Legal Expense Notice”) within <br />seven days after issuance of a final decision on the application or appeal. Within <br />seven days of receipt of the Legal Expense Notice, each party shall simultaneously <br />serve a written request for the awarding of and an accounting of Legal Expenses <br />on the Rent Review Officer or Hearing Officer and all parties by regular mail and <br />electronic mail. Said requests shall include detailed records of fee billings, time <br />records and supporting declarations executed under penalty of perjury. Within <br />seven days of receiving the requests, opposing parties may file and serve <br />objections in the same manner as service of the original requests. Within seven <br />days after service of the oppositions or within seven days of the deadline for the <br />filing of oppositions, if none is submitted, the Rent Review Officer or Hearing <br />Officer may submit a proposed supplemental decision stating the amount of legal <br />expenses each party is required to pay and the reasons therefor. <br />711