C-26, r. 263 - Regulation respecting the conciliation and arbitration procedure for the accounts of members of the Ordre professionnel des technologues professionnels du Québec

Updated to 1 September 2012

This document has official status.

chapter C-26, r. 263

Regulation respecting the conciliation and arbitration procedure for the accounts of members of the Ordre professionnel des technologues professionnels du Québec

Professional Code

(chapter C-26, s. 88).

DIVISION I CONCILIATION

1. A client who has a dispute with a member of the Ordre professionnel des technologues professionnels du Québec concerning the amount of an unpaid account for professional services may file a written application for conciliation with the syndic, provided that the member has not instituted proceedings to recover the account, by forwarding to the syndic the form in Schedule I.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 1.

2. A client who has a dispute with a member concerning the amount of an account for professional services that he has already paid, in whole or in part, may also file a written application for conciliation with the syndic within a 60-day period from the date of receipt of the account, by forwarding to the syndic the form in Schedule I.

Where the amount of the account has been withdrawn or withheld by the member from the funds that he holds or receives for or on behalf of the client, the period runs from the day on which the client becomes aware of the withdrawal or withholding.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 2.

3. A member may not institute proceedings to recover an account for professional services before the expiry of a 60-day period from the date of receipt of the account by the client.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 3.

4. Within 5 days of receiving an application for conciliation, the syndic shall notify the member concerned or, where he is unable to notify the member personally within that period, shall notify the member’s firm. He shall also send the client a copy of this Regulation.

Once the syndic has received the application for conciliation, the member may not institute proceedings to recover his account so long as the dispute may be settled by conciliation or arbitration.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a member may request provisional measures in accordance with article 940.4 of the Code of Civil Procedure (chapter C-25).

O.C. 1241-93, s. 4.

5. The syndic shall proceed with the conciliation using such procedure as he considers appropriate.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 5.

6. Any agreement reached during conciliation shall be put in writing, shall be signed by the client and the member and shall be filed with the syndic.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 6.

7. Where conciliation does not lead to an agreement within 30 days from the date of receipt of the application for conciliation, the syndic shall send a report on the dispute to the client and to the member by registered or certified mail.

The report shall contain the following information, where applicable:

(1)  the amount of the account in dispute;

(2)  the amount that the client acknowledges owing;

(3)  the account that the member acknowledges having to reimburse or is willing to accept as a settlement of the dispute;

(4)  the amount suggested by the syndic during conciliation as a payment to the member or as a reimbursement to the client.

The syndic shall send the client the form in Schedule I and shall indicate to him the procedure and deadline for submitting the dispute to arbitration.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 7.

DIVISION II ARBITRATION

§ 1 . — Application for arbitration

8. Within 15 days of receiving the conciliation report, the client may apply for arbitration of the account by sending the form in Schedule II to the syndic.

A copy of the conciliation report shall accompany the client’s application for arbitration.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 8.

9. Within 5 days of receiving an application for arbitration, the syndic shall notify the member concerned or, where he is unable to notify the member personally within that period, shall notify the member’s firm.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 9.

10. A client who wishes to withdraw his application for arbitration shall so notify the syndic.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 10.

11. A member who acknowledges having to reimburse an amount to a client shall deposit that amount with the syndic, who shall then remit it to the client.

In such case, the arbitration shall proceed and shall pertain only to the amount still in dispute.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 11.

12. Any agreement reached by the parties after the application for arbitration has been filed shall be put in writing, shall be signed by the parties and shall be filed with the syndic. Where the parties reach an agreement after a council of arbitration has been formed, the agreement shall be recorded in the arbitration award.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 12.

§ 2 . — Council of arbitration

13. The council of arbitration shall be composed of 3 arbitrators where the amount in dispute is $1,500 or more, and of a single arbitrator where the amount is less than $1,500.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 13.

14. The executive committee shall appoint the member or members of the council of arbitration from among the members of the Order and, if the council is composed of 3 arbitrators, shall designate the chair and the secretary thereof.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 14.

15. Before acting, the members of the council of arbitration shall take the oath in Schedule III.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 15.

16. The syndic shall send written notice to the arbitrators and to the parties informing them of the formation of the council of arbitration.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 16.

17. A request that an arbitrator be recused may be filed only for a reason provided for in article 234 of the Code of Civil Procedure (chapter C-25). The request shall be sent in writing to the syndic, to the council of arbitration and to the parties or their advocates within 10 days of receipt of the notice provided for in section 16 or of the day on which the reason for the request becomes known.

The executive committee shall decide the request and, where applicable, shall see that the arbitrator is replaced.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 17.

§ 3 . — Hearing

18. The syndic shall give the parties or their advocates and the arbitrators at least 10 days’ written notice of the date, time and place of the hearing set by the chair of the council of arbitration or by the arbitrator, as the case may be.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 18.

19. The parties are entitled to be represented or assisted by an advocate.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 19.

20. The council of arbitration shall, as soon as possible, hear the parties, receive their evidence or record any failure on their part. For those purposes, it shall follow such procedure as it considers appropriate.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 20.

21. A party requesting that the testimony be recorded shall assume the cost thereof.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 21.

22. Should an arbitrator die or be unable to act, the other arbitrators shall see the matter through.

If the council of arbitration consists of a single arbitrator, he shall be replaced by a new arbitrator and the dispute shall be reheard.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 22.

§ 4 . — Arbitration award

23. The council of arbitration shall issue its award within 60 days of the end of the hearing unless the parties agree in writing to extend that period.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 23.

24. The award shall be a majority award of the members of the council.

The award shall give reasons and shall be signed by all the members. Where a member refuses or is unable to sign, the others shall mention that fact and the award shall have the same effect as though it were signed by all the members.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 24.

25. The costs incurred by a party for the arbitration shall be borne by that party.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 25.

26. In its award, the council of arbitration may uphold or reduce the amount of the account in dispute, determine the reimbursement or payment to which a party may be entitled, and rule on the amount that the client acknowledges owing and that accompanied his application for arbitration.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 26.

27. In its award, the council of arbitration may decide the arbitration expenses, which are the expenses incurred by the Order for the arbitration. The total expenses may not exceed 10% of the amount to which the arbitration pertains.

Where the amount in dispute is upheld in whole or in part, or where a reimbursement is granted, the council of arbitration may add thereto interest and an indemnity calculated in accordance with articles 1618 and 1619 of the Civil Code from the date of the application for conciliation.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 27.

28. The arbitration award is binding on the parties but is subject to compulsory execution only after having been homologated in accordance with the procedure provided for in articles 946.1 to 946.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure (chapter C-25).

O.C. 1241-93, s. 28.

29. The arbitration award shall be filed with the syndic and shall be sent to each party or to their advocates within 10 days after being filed.

O.C. 1241-93, s. 29.

30. This Regulation replaces the Regulation respecting the procedure for conciliation and arbitration of accounts of applied science technologists (O.C. 1867-87, 87-12-09).

O.C. 1241-93, s. 30.

31. (Omitted).

O.C. 1241-93, s. 31.

SCHEDULE I

(ss. 1 and 2)

APPLICATION FOR CONCILIATION OF AN ACCOUNT

I, undersigned, ______________________________________________________________________________

(first name) (last name)

---

(address) (office phone: ) (occupation)

(home phone: )

declare that:

(1) Tick (a) or (b), where applicable:

(a) __________ On ________________________ 20_____, ________________________________________

(date) (technologist)

sent to ____________________________________________________________________________________

(name of client applying for conciliation)

an account in the amount of $___________________, for professional services. A copy of the account is attached hereto.

(b) __________ On ________________________ 20_____, ___________________________

(date)

I became aware that amounts were withdrawn or withheld from funds that _____________________________

(technologist)

holds on my behalf.

The amount of the account is $________________.

(2) Tick (a) or (b), where applicable, and give reasons:

(a) __________ I refuse to pay the account, but, where applicable, I acknowledge owing the amount of $________________.

(b) __________ I am requesting a reimbursement of $________________.

Reasons (for a or b)

---

---

---

---

(3) I am applying for conciliation by the syndic under Division I of the Regulation respecting the conciliation and arbitration procedure for the accounts of members of the Ordre professionnel des technologues professionels du Québec (chapter C-26, r. 263), of which I declare having received a copy and taken cognizance.

Signed ______________________________________

(client’s signature)

Sworn or solemnly affirmed before me at ________________ on this ____ day of _________________ 20_____

_______________________________________

(Commissioner for oaths)

O.C. 1241-93, Sch. I.

SCHEDULE II

(ss. 7 and 8)

APPLICATION FOR ARBITRATION OF AN ACCOUNT

I, the undersigned, ___________________________________________________________________________

(client’s name)

---

(domicile)

declare that:

(1) _____________________________________________________________________________________

(member’s name)

is claiming from me (or refuses to reimburse to me) a sum of money for professional services.

(2) I have enclosed a copy of the conciliation report.

(3) I am applying for arbitration of the account under the Regulation respecting the conciliation and arbitration procedure for the accounts of members of the Ordre professionnel des technologues professionnels du Québec (chapter C-26, r. 263).

(4) I have received a copy of the Regulation mentioned above and have taken cognizance thereof.

(5) I agree to submit to the procedure provided for in that Regulation and, where required, to pay to ___________________________________________________________________________________________

(member’s name)

the amount of the arbitration award.

_____________________________

Signature

O.C. 1241-93, Sch. II.

SCHEDULE III

(s. 15)

OATH OR SOLEMN AFFIRMATION

I swear to perform all my duties and to exercise all my powers as an arbitrator faithfully, impartially and honestly, to the best of my abilities and knowledge.

I also swear that I will not, without being so authorized by law, disclose or make known anything whatsoever of which I may take cognizance in the performance of my duties.

_____________________________

Signature

Sworn before me at ________________ on this ____ day of _________________ 20_____

_______________________________________

(Commissioner for oaths)

O.C. 1241-93, Sch. III.

REFERENCES

O.C. 1241-93, 1993 G.O. 2, 5216

S.Q. 2008, c. 11, ss. 212 and 213