10319. Adjournments

(a) The arbitrator(s) may, in their discretion, adjourn any hearing(s) either upon their own initiative or upon the request of any party to the arbitration.

(b) If an adjournment requested by a party is granted after arbitrators have been appointed, the party requesting an adjournment shall pay a fee equal to the initial deposit of hearing session fees for the first adjournment and twice the initial deposit of hearing session fees, not to exceed $1,500, for a second or subsequent adjournment requested by that party. The arbitrators may waive these fees in their discretion. If more than one party requests the adjournment, the arbitrators shall allocate the fees among the requesting parties.

(c) Upon receiving a third request consented to by all parties for an adjournment, the arbitrator(s) may dismiss the arbitration without prejudice to the Claimant filing a new arbitration.

(d) If an adjournment request is made by one or more parties and granted within three business days before a scheduled hearing session, the party or parties making the request shall pay an additional fee of $100 per arbitrator. If more than one party requests the adjournment, the arbitrators shall allocate the $100 per arbitrator fee among the requesting parties. The arbitrators may allocate all or portion of the $100 per arbitrator fee to the non-requesting party or parties, if the arbitrators determine that the non-requesting party or parties caused or contributed to the need for the adjournment. In the event that a request results in the adjournment of consecutively scheduled hearing sessions, the additional fee will be assessed only for the first of the consecutively scheduled hearing sessions. In the event that an extraordinary circumstance prevents a party or parties from making a timely adjournment request, arbitrators may use their discretion to waive the fee, provided verification of such circumstance is received.