(1) (a) The administrator may bring a civil action against a creditor for making or collecting charges in excess of those permitted by this code, violating any of the provisions of this code applying to limitations on the schedule of payments or loan term for supervised loans or authority to make supervised loans, or for disclosure violations. An action may relate to transactions with more than one consumer. If it is found that an excess charge has been made, the court shall order the respondent to refund to the consumer the amount of the excess charge and to pay a penalty to the consumer as provided in sections 5-5-201 and 5-5-202. In addition, the court may assess a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars for each violation of this code.

(b) If a creditor has made an excess charge in deliberate violation of or in reckless disregard for this code or if a creditor has refused to refund an excess charge within a reasonable time after demand by the consumer or the administrator, the court may also order the respondent to pay to the consumers a civil penalty in an amount determined by the court not in excess of the greater of either the amount of the finance charge or ten times the amount of the excess charge. Refunds and penalties to which the consumer is entitled pursuant to this subsection (1) may be set off against the consumer's obligation.

(c) If a consumer brings an action against a creditor to recover an excess charge or civil penalty, an action by the administrator to recover for the same excess charge or civil penalty shall be stayed while the consumer's action is pending and shall be dismissed if the consumer's action is dismissed with prejudice or results in a final judgment granting or denying the consumer's claim. There shall be no double recovery for refunds of excess charges or a penalty payable to the consumer.

(d) With respect to excess charges arising from revolving accounts, no action pursuant to this subsection (1) may be brought more than four years after the time the excess charge was made. With respect to excess charges arising from other consumer credit transactions, no action pursuant to this subsection (1) may be brought more than four years after the due date of the last scheduled payment of the agreement pursuant to which the charge was made.

(e) If the creditor establishes by a preponderance of evidence that a violation is unintentional or the result of a bona fide error, no liability to pay a penalty shall be imposed under this subsection (1).

(2) The administrator may bring a civil action against a creditor or a person acting in the creditor's behalf to recover a civil penalty for willfully violating this code, and, if the court finds that the defendant has engaged in a course of repeated and willful violations of this code, it may assess a civil penalty of no more than five thousand dollars. All or part of the penalty under this subsection (2) may be specifically designated for consumer and creditor education. No civil penalty pursuant to this subsection (2) may be imposed for violations of this code occurring more than four years before the action is brought or for making unconscionable agreements or engaging in a course of fraudulent or unconscionable conduct.

(3) If the administrator prevails in an action brought under this section, the administrator may recover his or her reasonable costs in investigating and bringing the action and request an order for reimbursement of his or her reasonable attorney fees.