(a) Preliminary effort. HUD strongly encourages the homeowner or party reporting an alleged defect to seek to resolve the dispute directly with any manufacturer, retailer, or installer that the person reporting the defect believes to be responsible before initiating the HUD dispute resolution process.

(b) Request for dispute resolution. Any of the parties or the homeowner may initiate the HUD Manufactured Home Dispute Resolution Program at any time after an alleged defect has been reported, by requesting dispute resolution, as follows:

(1) By mailing, e-mailing, or otherwise delivering a written request for dispute resolution to the dispute resolution provider at the address or e-mail address provided either at http://www.hud.gov, or by contacting HUD's Office of Regulatory Affairs and Manufactured Housing at (202) 708-6423 or (800) 927-2891;

(2) By faxing a request for dispute resolution to the fax number provided either at http://www.hud.gov, or by contacting HUD's Office of Regulatory Affairs and Manufactured Housing at (202) 708-6423 or (800) 927-2891; or

(3) By telephoning a request for dispute resolution to the number provided either at http://www.hud.gov, or by contacting HUD's Office of Regulatory Affairs and Manufactured Housing at (202) 708-6423 or (800) 927-2891.

(c) Requested information. The dispute resolution provider will request at least the following information when a person seeks to initiate dispute resolution under the HUD Manufactured Home Dispute Resolution Program:

(1) The name, address, and contact information of the homeowner;

(2) The name and contact information of the manufacturer, retailer, and installer of the manufactured home, to the extent available;

(3) The date the report of the alleged defect was made;

(4) The name and contact information of the recipient or recipients of the report of the alleged defect;

(5) The date of installation of the manufactured home affected by the alleged defect; and

(6) A description of the alleged defect.