Section 731. Appointment of hearing officers

1. The chief administrator of
  the courts shall appoint  a  panel  of  small  claims  hearing  officers
  selected  from  persons requesting to serve as such hearing officers who
  shall have submitted resumes of qualifications.  Hearing officers to  be
  appointed  to  the  panel  shall  be  qualified  by  training, interest,
  experience, temperament and knowledge of real  property  assessment  and
  valuation  practices and provisions of state and local law governing the
  making of assessments, but need not be attorneys  at  law.    The  chief
  administrator  of  the  court shall randomly assign a hearing officer or
  hearing officers, or may assign a judicial  hearing  officer  designated
  pursuant  to  article  twenty-two  of  the  judiciary law, to conduct an
  informal hearing on the petition for  review  with  the  applicants  for
  small  claims  and a representative of the assessing unit which made the
  assessment sought to be reviewed. Hearing  officers  assigned  shall  be
  familiar  with  the assessing unit in which the real property subject to
  review is located, and shall not possess any  conflict  of  interest  as
  defined  by  the  public officers law with regard to the petitions to be
  heard. Hearing officers shall  be  compensated  for  their  services  in
  accordance   with  a  fee  schedule  to  be  established  by  the  chief
  administrator of the courts.  For purposes of subdivisions two and three
  of this section and  the  other  provisions  of  this  title,  the  term
  "hearing officer" shall include a judicial hearing officer.
    2.  A  hearing  officer  shall  disqualify  himself  or herself from a
  hearing where such officer possesses a conflict of interest  as  defined
  by  the  public officers law. Such hearing officer shall also disqualify
  himself or herself from a hearing  where  such  hearing  officer  has  a
  direct  or  indirect  interest  in any property for which a petition has
  been filed. For the purposes of this title, a hearing officer  shall  be
  deemed to have a direct or indirect interest in any property for which a
  petition  has been filed when the hearing officer, spouse, or any of his
  or her minor children:
    (a) is the owner of such property; or
    (b) is an officer, director, partner or associate of  a  law  firm  or
  real  estate  firm which has a financial interest with the owner of such
  property.
    3. Where a hearing  officer  disqualifies  himself  or  herself,  such
  hearing  officer  shall  notify the chief administrator of the court who
  shall reassign the case to another hearing officer.