§ 210.31 Requests for admission. ( a ) *Form, content, and service of request for admission.* Any party may serve on any other party a written request for admission of the truth of any matters relevant to the investigation and set forth in the request that relate to statements or opinions of fact or of the application of law to fact, including the genuineness of any documents described in the request. Copies of documents shall be served with the request unless they have been otherwise furnished or are known to be, and in the request are stated as being, in the possession of the other party. Each matter as to which an admission is requested shall be separately set forth. The request may be served upon a party whose complaint is the basis for the investigation after the date of publication in the Federal Register of the notice of investigation. The administrative law judge will determine the period within which a party may serve a request upon other parties.
( b ) *Answers and objections to requests for admissions.* A party answering a request for admission shall repeat the request for admission immediately preceding his answer. The matter may be deemed admitted unless, within 10 days or the period specified by the administrative law judge, the party to whom the request is directed serves upon the party requesting the admission a sworn written answer or objection addressed to the matter. If objection is made, the reason therefor shall be stated. The answer shall specifically deny the matter or set forth in detail the reasons why the answering party cannot truthfully admit or deny the matter. A denial shall fairly meet the substance of the requested admission, and when good faith requires that a party qualify his answer or deny only a part of the matter as to which an admission is requested, he shall specify so much of it as is true and qualify or deny the remainder. An answering party may not give lack of information or knowledge as a reason for failure to admit or deny unless he states that he has made reasonable inquiry and that the information known to or readily obtainable by him is insufficient to enable him to admit or deny. A party who considers that a matter as to which an admission has been requested presents a genuine issue for a hearing may not object to the request on that ground alone; he may deny the matter or set forth reasons why he cannot admit or deny it.
( c ) *Sufficiency of answers.* The party who has requested the admissions may move to determine the sufficiency of the answers or objections. Unless the objecting party sustains his burden of showing that the objection is justified, the administrative law judge shall order that an answer be served. If the administrative law judge determines that an answer does not comply with the requirements of this section, he may order either that the matter is admitted or that an amended answer be served. The administrative law judge may, in lieu of these orders, determine that final disposition of the request be made at a prehearing conference or at a designated time prior to a hearing under this part.
( d ) *Effect of admissions; withdrawal or amendment of admission.* Any matter admitted under this section may be conclusively established unless the administrative law judge on motion permits withdrawal or amendment of the admission. The administrative law judge may permit withdrawal or amendment when the presentation of the issues of the investigation will be subserved thereby and the party who obtained the admission fails to satisfy the administrative law judge that withdrawal or amendment will prejudice him in maintaining his position on the issue of the investigation. Any admission made by a party under this section is for the purpose of the pending investigation and any related proceeding as defined in § 210.3 of this chapter.
[59 FR 39039, Aug. 1, 1994, as amended at 73 FR 38323, July 7, 2008]