Regulated clients can appeal to dispute an inspector’s order, a seal and certain fees.
TSSA inspectors are authorized to issue orders and apply seals to equipment prohibiting their use when they encounter non-compliances. TSSA charges fees for certain inspections and can also charge fees for late payments or cancelling scheduled inspections.
Any person affected by an inspector’s order or seal or who disputes the fees charged to them can submit an appeal within 90 days of receiving the order, seal or fee invoice.
TSSA offers informal reviews of orders, seals and fees which can avoid the need for a formal appeal.
The Technical Standards and Safety Act (TSS Act) gives TSSA the authority to suspend, revoke, refuse to grant or refuse to renew an authorization for the grounds listed in section 6(7) of the TSS Act. For more information, visit Notice of Proposal.
Informal Reviews
A formal appeal can be a lengthy, complex legal process. TSSA encourages you to first pursue an informal review of your issue.
For informal reviews of an inspector’s order or inspection fees, contact the inspector who issued the order or their supervisor.
For informal reviews of late payment fees or fees for cancelled inspections, call TSSA at 1-877-682-8772 to request a review by phone.
Formal Appeals
If you are not satisfied with the result of an informal review, you can file a formal appeal as follows:
1. Appeals of Late Payment & Inspection Appointment Cancellation Fees
Two fees — a Late Payment Fee for renewing authorizations after the expiry date, and an Inspection Appointment Cancellation Fee for short-notice cancellation of scheduled inspections. If you have completed an informal review to dispute a late payment or inspection appointment cancellation fee and disagree with the outcome, you can submit a formal appeal by submitting an email to appeals@tssa.org that describes the reasons for which you believe the fee should be waived. Please include your TSSA account number and the invoice number.
2. Order, Seal & Inspection Fee Appeals
Any person affected by an inspector’s order or seal or who disputes the fees charged to them can submit an appeal within 90-days of receiving the order, seal, or fee invoice.
An Order Appeal is an appeal of an inspector’s order relating to a specific violation of legislation, an adopted code or other rule.
A Seal Appeal is an appeal to have a seal removed from a device or equipment when the seal prohibits its use.
An Inspection Fee Appeal relates to fees for inspections or affixing seals.
Appeals of Orders, Seals, and Inspection Fees
To file an appeal of an order, a seal or inspection fee, complete and submit Form F-1: Appeal of the Requirement to Pay Fees (pdf) to appeals@tssa.org within 90 days of the order, seal or invoice being appealed.
If you do not receive a response acknowledging receipt of your appeal documents within 7 days, please call the Hearings Coordinator at (416) 734-3548 to confirm that your appeal documents were received.
Learn what happens after you file an order or a seal appeal by reading TSSA’s appeal process. Appeals are subject to the Rules of Practice (pdf).
Appeals Process
Dispute Resolution Stage
The letter you receive from the Director’s office confirming receipt of your appeal will also have the contact information for an assigned representative.
This representative will contact you to informally discuss your file and try to resolve the appeal and avoid the need for a hearing.
The Hearing Stage
If the matter is not resolved through the dispute resolution stage, the Hearings Coordinator will send you and the TSSA representative the Notice of Hearing.
If the facts are largely undisputed and credibility does not appear to be an issue, the Director may propose conducting a written hearing for the appeal. Written hearings are often a fair and efficient method of conducting an appeal.
If you receive a Notice for Written Hearing, you will be given the opportunity to satisfy the Director that there is good reason not to hold a written hearing, in which case the Director may hold an oral hearing (virtual or in-person).
Consult the TSSA Rules of Practice (pdf) for additional information about TSSA’s procedures.
The hearing is a legal proceeding to determine your rights and obligations under the Act.
NOTE: If you do not attend or respond, the hearing will proceed without you, and your rights and obligations will be determined in your absence.
Director's Decision
After the appeal hearing, the Director may change, revoke or affirm an order or the requirement to pay fees. Where the Director’s decision affirms the requirement to pay fees or the inspector’s orders or seals, the affected party may appeal the decision to the Divisional Court.