17:29A-23. Commissioner, power to assess penalties; procedure

In lieu of the penalty provided for in section twenty-two of this act but in addition to any other penalty or forfeiture provided by this act, or otherwise provided by law, the commissioner may, if he finds that any person, partnership, association, corporation, insurer, or rating organization has willfully violated any provision of this act, impose a penalty of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) and not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each such violation. No such penalty shall be imposed, except upon at least ten days' written notice to such person, partnership, association, corporation, insurer, or rating organization, specifying the specific violation, and naming a date and place for a hearing on the violation so charged. If the commissioner shall find, upon the evidence placed before him at such hearing, that such person, partnership, association, corporation, insurer, or rating organization is guilty of any violation of the provisions of this act, he shall make an order briefly stating his findings, and specifying the penalty imposed. The imposition of such a penalty shall, in the case of a licensed broker, or agent, or in the case of a rating organization, automatically suspend the license of such broker or agent or rating organization until such time as such penalty shall be paid. The commissioner may file in the office of the Clerk of the Superior Court, a certificate stating the amount of any penalty assessed pursuant to the provisions of this section, and the name of the person, partnership, association, corporation, insurer, or rating organization against whom or which the penalty has been assessed, and thereupon the Clerk of Superior Court shall enter upon his record of docketed judgments such certificate, or an abstract thereof, and shall duly index the same. From the time of such docketing, such certificate shall have the same force and effect as a judgment obtained in the Superior Court, Law Division, and the commissioner shall have all remedies and may take all the proceedings for the collection thereof which may be had or taken upon the recovery of such a judgment. Before any such penalty is imposed the proceeding before the commissioner may be removed to the Superior Court by a proceeding in lieu of prerogative writ and there determined.

L.1944, c. 27, p. 80, s. 23. Amended by L.1953, c. 17, p. 250, s. 120.