(a) If the Director issues an Order Instituting Proceedings, the respondent shall receive not less than 45 days notice of the time and place of the hearing.

(b) Time and place of hearing. All hearings shall be held in the Washington, DC metropolitan area unless, based on extraordinary reasons, otherwise mutually agreed by the respondent and the Director. The time for any hearing shall be fixed with due regard for the public interest and the convenience and necessity of the parties or their representatives. Requests to change the time of a hearing may be submitted to the Administrative Law Judge, who may modify the hearing date(s) and/or time(s) and place. All requests for a change in the date and time and/or place of a hearing must be received by the Administrative Law Judge and served upon the parties no later than 15 days before the scheduled hearing date.

(c) Failure to appear at hearings: default. Any respondent named in an order instituting proceedings as a person against whom findings may be made or penalties imposed who fails to appear (in person or through a representative) at a hearing of which he or she has been duly notified may be deemed to be in default pursuant to § 501.716(a). Without further proceedings or notice to the respondent, the Administrative Law Judge may enter a finding that the right to a hearing was waived, and the Penalty Notice shall constitute final agency action as provided in § 501.709(a)(2). A respondent may make a motion to set aside a default pursuant to § 501.726(e).