(a) The party affected by an equalization proceeding or his or her agent, or the assessor, may make and file with the clerk of the assessment appeals board in which the proceeding is pending a written statement objecting to the hearing of a matter before a member of the board, and setting forth the facts constituting the ground of the disqualification of the member. Copies of the written statement shall be served by the presenting party on each party in the proceeding and on the board member alleged in the statement to be disqualified.
(b) Within 10 days after the filing of the statement, or within 10 days after the service of the statement as provided in subdivision (a), whichever is later, the board member alleged therein to be disqualified may file with the clerk his or her consent in writing that the action or proceeding be tried before another member, or may file with the clerk his or her written answer admitting or denying any or all of the allegations contained in the statement and setting forth any additional fact or facts material or relevant to the question of his or her disqualification. The clerk shall transmit a copy of the member’s consent or answer to each party who shall have appeared in the proceeding. Every statement and every answer shall be verified by oath in the manner prescribed by Section 446 of the Code of Civil Procedure for the verification of pleadings. The statement of a party objecting to the member on the ground of the member’s disqualification, shall be presented at the earliest practicable opportunity, after discovery of the facts constituting the ground of the member’s disqualification, and in any event before the commencement of the hearing of any issue of fact in the proceeding before the member.
(c) No member of the board, who shall deny his or her own disqualification, shall hear or pass upon the question of the disqualification. The question of the member’s disqualification shall be heard and determined by some other member agreed upon by the parties who have appeared in the proceeding, or, in the event of their failing to agree, by a member assigned to act by the clerk. Within five days after the expiration of the time allowed by this section for the member to answer, the clerk shall assign a member, not disqualified, to hear and determine the matter of the disqualification.
(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1087, Sec. 23. Effective January 1, 1997.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018