Section 180-13-27 - Costs The costs for services of the fact-finding panel must be shared equally by the parties to the controversy. Costs include per diem expenses and actual and necessary travel and subsistence expenses for the panel, the costs, if any, of hiring the premises where the hearing is conducted and the costs and expenses incurred in the production and publication of the resulting report, including stenographic expenses. The billing process depends on whether the fact finders are members of the Board of Arbitration and Conciliation or private fact finders.
1.Board of Arbitration and Conciliation (BAC) Fact Finders. When a request for fact-finding services by members of the BAC is received, the executive director may estimate costs and collect those costs prior to providing the services. Per diem fees are established by statute in 26 M.R.S.A. §931. Once one party has paid its share of the estimated cost, the matter is scheduled for hearing. The executive director shall bill or reimburse the parties for any difference between the estimated costs that were collected and the actual costs of providing the services.2.Private Fact Finders. The parties are billed directly for the costs of services provided by private fact finders. The fees are set by the individual private fact finders.12- 180 C.M.R. ch. 13, § 27