View all text of Subpart B [§ 1081.200 - § 1081.216]

§ 1081.208 - Subpoenas.

(a) Availability. In connection with any hearing ordered by the hearing officer or any deposition permitted under § 1081.209, a party may request the issuance of subpoenas requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses at such depositions or at the designated time and place of the hearing, or the production of documentary or other tangible evidence returnable at any designated time or place.

(b) Procedure. Unless made on the record at a hearing, requests for issuance of a subpoena must be made in writing, and filed and served on each party pursuant to subpart A of this part. The request must contain a proposed subpoena and a brief statement showing the general relevance and reasonableness of the scope of testimony or documents sought.

(c) Signing may be delegated. A hearing officer may authorize issuance of a subpoena, and may delegate the manual signing of the subpoena to any other person.

(d) Standards for issuance of subpoenas requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses at the hearing or the production of documentary or other tangible evidence. The hearing officer will promptly issue any subpoena requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses at the designated time and place of the hearing or the production of documentary or other tangible evidence. Where it appears to the hearing officer that the subpoena sought may be unreasonable, oppressive, excessive in scope, or unduly burdensome, the hearing officer may, as a condition precedent to the issuance of the subpoena, require the person seeking the subpoena to show further the general relevance and reasonable scope of the testimony or other evidence sought. If after consideration of all the circumstances, the hearing officer determines that the subpoena or any of its terms is unreasonable, oppressive, excessive in scope, or unduly burdensome, the hearing officer may refuse to issue the subpoena, or issue it only upon such conditions as fairness requires. In making the foregoing determination, the hearing officer may inquire of the other parties whether they will stipulate to the facts sought to be proved.

(e) Standards for issuance of subpoenas requiring the deposition of a witness pursuant to § 1081.209. (1) The hearing officer will promptly issue any subpoena requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses at a deposition only if the subpoena complies with § 1081.209 and if:

(i) The proposed deponent is a witness identified in the other party's scheduling conference disclosure under § 1081.203(b);

(ii) The proposed deponent was a witness of or participant in any event, transaction, occurrence, act, or omission that forms the basis for any claim asserted by the Office of Enforcement, any defense, or anything else required to be included in an answer pursuant to § 1081.201(b), by any respondent in the proceeding (this excludes a proposed deponent whose only knowledge of these matters arises from the Bureau's investigation, the Bureau's examination, or the proceeding);

(iii) The proposed deponent is designated as an “expert witness” under § 1081.210(b); provided, however, that the deposition of an expert who is required to submit a written report under § 1081.210(b) may only occur after such report is served;

(iv) The proposed deponent has custody of documents or electronic data relevant to the claims or defenses of any party (this excludes officers or personnel of the Bureau who have custody of documents or data that was produced by the Office of Enforcement to the respondent); or

(v) The proposed deponent is unavailable for the hearing as set forth in § 1081.209(c).

(2) Where it appears to the hearing officer that the subpoena sought may be unreasonable, oppressive, excessive in scope, or unduly burdensome, the hearing officer may, as a condition precedent to the issuance of the subpoena, require the person seeking the subpoena to show further the general relevance and reasonable scope of the testimony or other evidence sought. If after consideration of all the circumstances, the hearing officer determines that the subpoena or any of its terms is unreasonable, oppressive, excessive in scope, or unduly burdensome, the hearing officer may refuse to issue the subpoena, or issue it only upon such conditions as fairness requires. In making the foregoing determination, the hearing officer may inquire of the other parties whether they will stipulate to the facts sought to be proved.

(f) Service. Upon issuance by the hearing officer, the party making the request will serve the subpoena on the person named in the subpoena and on each party in accordance with § 1081.113(c). Subpoenas may be served in any State, territory, possession of the United States, or the District of Columbia, on any person or company doing business in any State, territory, possession of the United States, or the District of Columbia, or as otherwise permitted by law.

(g) Tender of fees required. When a subpoena compelling the attendance of a person at a hearing or a deposition is issued at the request of anyone other than an officer or agency of the United States, service is valid only if the subpoena is accompanied by a tender to the subpoenaed person of the fees for one day's attendance and mileage specified by § 1081.116.

(h) Place of compliance. A subpoena for a deposition may command a person to attend a deposition only as follows:

(1) Within 100 miles of where the person resides, is employed, or regularly transacts business in person;

(2) Within the State where the person resides, is employed, or regularly transacts business in person, if the person is a party or a party's officer;

(3) At such other location that the parties and proposed deponent stipulate; or

(4) At such other location that the hearing officer determines is appropriate.

(i) Production of documentary material. Production of documentary material in response to a subpoena must be made under a sworn certificate, in such form as the subpoena designates, by the person to whom the subpoena is directed or, if not a natural person, by any person having knowledge of the facts and circumstances relating to such production, to the effect that all of the documentary material required by the subpoena and in the possession, custody, or control of the person to whom the subpoena is directed has been produced and made available to the custodian.

(j) Motion to quash or modify—(1) Procedure. Any person to whom a subpoena is directed, or who is an owner, creator, or the subject of the documents that are to be produced pursuant to a subpoena, or any party may, prior to the time specified therein for compliance, but in no event more than seven days after the date of service of such subpoena, move that the subpoena be quashed or modified. Such motion must be filed and served on all parties pursuant to subpart A of this part. Notwithstanding § 1081.205, the party on whose behalf the subpoena was issued or enforcement counsel may, within seven days of service of the motion, file a response to the motion. Reply briefs are not permitted unless requested by the hearing officer. Filing a motion to modify a subpoena does not stay the movant's obligation to comply with those portions of the subpoena that the person has not sought to modify.

(2) Standards governing motion to quash or modify. If compliance with the subpoena would be unreasonable, oppressive, or unduly burdensome, the hearing officer must quash or modify the subpoena, or may order return of the subpoena only upon specified conditions. These conditions may include but are not limited to a requirement that the party on whose behalf the subpoena was issued make reasonable compensation to the person to whom the subpoena was addressed for the cost of copying or transporting evidence to the place for return of the subpoena.

(k) Enforcing subpoenas. If a subpoenaed person fails to comply with any subpoena issued pursuant to this part or any order of the hearing officer which directs compliance with all or any portion of a subpoena, the Bureau's General Counsel may, on its own motion or at the request of the party on whose behalf the subpoena was issued, apply to an appropriate United States district court, in the name of the Bureau but on relation of such party, for an order requiring compliance with so much of the subpoena as the hearing officer has not quashed or modified, unless, in the judgment of the General Counsel, the enforcement of such subpoena would be inconsistent with law and the policies of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010. Failure to request that the Bureau's General Counsel seek enforcement of a subpoena constitutes a waiver of any claim of prejudice predicated upon the unavailability of the testimony or evidence sought.

(l) Relationship to scheduling of hearing. The parties must disclose at the scheduling conference required under § 1081.203(e) whether they intend to request the issuance of subpoenas under § 1081.209. A respondent's request for issuance of a subpoena constitutes a request that the hearing not be held until after a reasonable period, determined by the hearing officer, for the completion of discovery. The hearing officer will decide whether to grant such a request. If the request is granted, the hearing officer will set a deadline for the completion of discovery and schedule the specific date of the hearing, in consultation with the parties. This paragraph (l) does not apply to a subpoena for the attendance and testimony of a witness at the hearing or a subpoena to depose a witness unavailable for the hearing.