Compliance Consultation Service: What Is It, What It Isn't, and How to Use It

• By: Amber Hackett Crosby
• On: 12/20/2017 17:09:52
• In: Texas Posts
• Comments: 0

What It Is

The TIADA Compliance Consultation Service is designed to provide members with information regarding the laws and regulations governing the auto industry. Our staff is up-to-date on the rules that TxDMV, OCCC, the Office of the Comptroller, the FTC, the CFPB, and the other agencies enforce. We also maintain a list of attorneys who practice law in the areas in which our members most need help. When a member has a question that requires more than a cursory recitation of a law or rule, these attorneys accept referrals from TIADA staff to provide a brief (15 minutes) legal consultation to help the member decide on a solution.
 
Thanks to strong relationships with state agency personnel and local tax assessor-collectors offices, TIADA is able to assist members with investigations, audits and exams.
 
Finally, CCS has a database of written materials on a variety of subjects to share with members. Whether the situation is a claims dispute with an insurance carrier, an impending OCCC exam, or something in between, chances are that CCS has a written resource to email you.
 
What It Isn't

Staff attorneys do not represent members. CCS cannot provide legal opinions, nor can it review documents to confirm that said documents are “legal”.
 
How to Use It

The quickest way to access CCS is to submit a request online. Go to www.txiada.org , and under “Resources”, click on “Legal and Compliance”. You will see a link to Compliance Consultation Service, and just below that there is a link to the online form.
 
If your situation is urgent, with “urgent” meaning that there is an investigator arriving at your dealership within the next three hours (in which case you probably should have reached out much sooner), then you can call the state office and ask to speak with the director of compliance.
 
CCS requests are answered in the order in which they are received. Let us know in your request if your matter is time sensitive. Also, the more information you provide with your request, the more likely it is that staff can answer your question quickly, with minimum amounts of phone tag.
 
Perhaps most importantly, give staff a reliable way to contact you. Your email address should be one that you check on a regular basis. Your phone number should be a direct line to you, or should include an extension on which you can be reached. If your phone system is sensitive, then give us instructions on how to navigate.
 
TIADA staff strives to respond to CCS requests on the day they are received. Generally, if you submit a request before noon, staff will respond that day. If your request arrives after 12:00 PM, staff will make every effort to get in touch that day. It may be the following business day when you receive a response.
 
TIADA is here to provide resources and support for dealer members. Protecting dealers with legal information necessary to their businesses is essential support. Let us help you. As we are fond of saying, directly or indirectly, TIADA knows everything.

LINK: TIADA Compliance Consultation Service