(a) If a charge is issued under § 103.405, a complainant (including the Assistant Secretary, if HUD filed the complaint), a respondent, or an aggrieved person on whose behalf the complaint is filed may elect, in lieu of an administrative proceeding under 24 CFR part 180, to have the claims asserted in the charge decided in a civil action under section 812(o) of the Fair Housing Act.

(b) The election must be made not later than 20 says after the receipt of service of the charge, or in the case of the Assistant Secretary, not later than 20 days after service. The notice of election must be filed with the Docket Clerk in the Office of Hearings and Appeals and served on the General Counsel, the Assistant Secretary, the respondent, and the aggrieved persons on whose behalf the complaint was filed. The notification will be filed and served in accordance with the procedures established under 24 CFR part 180.

(c) If an election is not made under this section, the General Counsel will maintain an administrative proceeding based on the charge in accordance with the procedures under 24 CFR part 180.

(d) If an election is made under this section, the General Counsel shall immediately notify and authorize the Attorney General to commence and maintain a civil action seeking relief under section 812(o) of the Fair Housing Act on behalf of the aggrieved person in an appropriate United States District Court. Such notification and authorization shall include transmission of the file in the case, including a copy of the final investigative report and the charge, to the Attorney General.

(e) The General Counsel shall be available for consultation concerning any legal issues raised by the Attorney General as to how best to proceed in the event that a new court decision or newly discovered evidence is regarded as relevant to the reasonable cause determination.