(1) Whenever it appears that a person is violating, or threatening to violate, any statute of this state with respect to the conservation of oil or gas, or both, or any provision of this law, or any rule, regulation or order made by any act done in the operation of a well producing oil or gas, or storing or recovering natural gas, or by omitting an act required to be done, the division, through its counsel, or the Department of Legal Affairs on its own initiative, may bring suit against such person in the Circuit Court in the County of Leon, state, or in the circuit court in the county in which the well in question is located, at the option of the division, or the Department of Legal Affairs, to restrain such person or persons from continuing such violation or from carrying out the threat of violation. In such suit, the division, or the Department of Legal Affairs, may obtain injunctions, prohibitory and mandatory, including temporary restraining orders and temporary injunctions, as the facts may warrant, including, when appropriate, an injunction restraining any person from moving or disposing of illegal oil, illegal gas or illegal product, and any or all such commodities may be ordered to be impounded or placed under the control of a receiver appointed by the court if, in the judgment of the court, such action is advisable.

(2) In the event the division, or the Department of Legal Affairs, should fail to bring suit within 10 days to enjoin any actual or threatened violation of any statute of this state with respect to the conservation of oil and gas, or of any provision of this law, or of any rule, regulation or order made thereunder, then any person or party in interest adversely affected by such violation, and who has notified the division, or the Department of Legal Affairs, in writing of such violation, or threat thereof, and has requested the division, or the Department of Legal Affairs, to sue, may, to prevent any or further violation, bring suit for that purpose in the Circuit Court of the County of Leon, in the state. If, in such suit, the court should hold that injunctive relief should be granted, then the division, or the Department of Legal Affairs, shall be made a party and shall be substituted for the person who brought the suit, and the injunction shall be issued as if the division, or the Department of Legal Affairs, had at all times been the complainant.

(3) If any such defendant cannot be personally served with summons in that county, personal jurisdiction of that defendant in such suit may be obtained by service made upon him or her or any employee or agent of that defendant at any place in Florida and by the division, or the Department of Legal Affairs, mailing copy of the complaint in the action to the defendant at the address of the defendant then recorded with the division, or the Department of Legal Affairs.

History.—s. 30, ch. 22819, 1945; s. 1, ch. 69-350; ss. 11, 25, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 627, ch. 95-148; s. 21, ch. 2013-205.