Cal. Civ. Code § DWD 220.15
Answer.
Operative Text
DWD 220.15 Answer. (1) When required. Within 10 days after the date of a notice of hearing on the merits, each respondent shall file with the hearing section of the division an answer to the allegations of the complaint upon which there is a finding of probable cause, along with a certification that a copy of the answer has been mailed to all other parties. (2) Content of answer. The answer shall contain the respondent’s current address. It shall also contain a specific admission, denial or explanation of each allegation of the complaint. If the respondent is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of an allegation, the respondent shall so state and this shall have the effect of a denial. Admissions or denials may be to all or part of an allegation, but shall fairly meet the substance of the allegation. Any affirmative defense relied upon, including the statute of limitations, shall be raised in the answer unless it has previously been raised by a motion in writing. Failure to raise an affirmative defense in the answer may, in the absence of good cause, be held to constitute a waiver of such a defense.
Wisconsin Administrative Code § DWD 220.15 establishes the procedural requirements for a respondent's formal answer in a fair housing or employment discrimination hearing before the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Within 10 days of receiving a notice of hearing on the merits, the respondent must file a written answer addressing each allegation that survived a probable-cause finding, and must certify that all other parties received a copy. The answer must include the respondent's current address, a specific response to each allegation, and any affirmative defenses—such as a statute of limitations argument—or those defenses may be considered waived.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners or managers named as respondents in a DWD discrimination proceeding should be aware that § DWD 220.15 sets a strict 10-day window from the notice of hearing to file a compliant answer with the division's hearing section. A compliant answer under this provision addresses each probable-cause allegation specifically—admitting, denying, or explaining it—and includes the respondent's current mailing address along with proof of service to all parties. Operators who work with legal counsel typically ensure that all affirmative defenses, including any statute-of-limitations argument, are raised in that initial answer, since § DWD 220.15 warns that omitting them may result in waiver absent good cause.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
If you are a complainant in a DWD fair housing or employment discrimination proceeding, § DWD 220.15 governs how the respondent must formally respond to the allegations against them after a probable-cause finding. The rule requires the respondent to address each allegation specifically and to serve a copy of the answer on all parties, meaning you should receive that document within the 10-day filing window. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices familiar with Wisconsin administrative proceedings can help complainants understand what a respondent's answer means for the next stages of the process under § DWD 220.15.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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