method that returns a class

not sure how to explain and this might be too vague, but- i am working on a project with another person and am not sure how to use what they wrote since i'm unfamiliar with this level of code. could someone please help explain how i would use a method that is returning a class?  i need to pass a value to the method and am unsure how to do that since it returns a class. i also need to take the results of the method and assign some of the data to labels on a form. if someone has a site with further information, maybe that would help also?
#Region "GetPermit"

      Friend Function GetPermit(ByVal permitId As Integer) As PSI.Common.Permit
            Dim cn As SqlConnection = Me.CreateConnection()
            cn.Open()
            Dim retval As Permit = Me.GetPermitImpl(permitId, cn)
            cn.Close()
            Return retval
      End Function
Private Function GetPermitImpl(ByVal permitId As Integer, ByVal cn As System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection) As PSI.Common.Permit
            Dim cmd As New SqlCommand("spPermit", cn)
            Dim dt As New DataTable
            Dim p As Permit
            Dim imgr As New InspectionMgr

            'Permit
            With cmd
                  .CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
                  .Parameters.Add("@PermitId", SqlDbType.Int).Value = permitId
                  .Parameters.Add("@Mode", SqlDbType.VarChar).Value = "SELECT"
            End With

            Dim da As New SqlDataAdapter(cmd)
            da.Fill(dt)

            If dt.Rows.Count = 0 Then
                  cn.Close()
                  Return New Permit
            End If

            p = New Permit(dt.Rows(0))

            'Applicant, Property and Municipality
            p.Applicant = Me.GetApplicant(p.ApplicantIdLink)
            p.Applicant.[Property] = Me.GetProperty(p.Applicant.PropertyIdLink)
            p.Applicant.[Property].Municipality = Me.GetMunicipality(p.Applicant.[Property].MunicipalityIdLink)

            'PermitContractor relationships
            cmd = New SqlCommand("spPermitContractor", cn)
            dt = New DataTable

            With cmd
                  .CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
                  .Parameters.Add("@PermitIdLink", SqlDbType.Int).Value = p.PermitId
                  .Parameters.Add("@Mode", SqlDbType.VarChar).Value = "SELECTBYPERMIT"
            End With

            da = New SqlDataAdapter(cmd)
            da.Fill(dt)

            'Inspections and Contractors
            For i As Integer = 0 To dt.Rows.Count - 1
                  Dim c As New PermitContractor(dt.Rows(i))
                  Dim dt2 As DataTable
                  c.Contractor = Me.GetContractorImpl(c.ContractorIdLink, cn)
                  c.ContractorType = Me.GetContractorType(c.ContractorTypeIdLink, cn)

                  dt2 = imgr.GetInspections(c.PermitContractorId, cn)

                  For ii As Integer = 0 To dt2.Rows.Count - 1
                        Dim ins As New Inspection(dt2.Rows(ii))
                        ins.InspectionType = imgr.GetInspectionType(ins.InspectionTypeIdLink, cn)
                        c.Inspections.Add(ins)
                  Next

                  p.PermitContractors.Add(c)
            Next

            Return p
      End Function
#End Region