55:13B-10. Corporate, personal liability for violations

a. No person shall: (1) obstruct, hinder, delay or otherwise interfere with any action of the commissioner in the exercise of any power or duty under the provisions of this act; (2) prepare, utter or otherwise render any false statement, application, report or document which is permitted or required pursuant to this act; or (3) refuse to comply with any ruling, order, notice or action made by the commissioner pursuant to the provisions of this act.

b. Any person who violates any provision of subsection a. above shall be liable for a civil penalty of not less than $50.00 nor more than $5,000.00 for each violation. Each day during which any person violates any such provision after the date fixed for termination of the violation in any order for termination issued by the commissioner shall constitute an additional, separate and distinct violation, except during the time an appeal from such an order is taken or pending. If an administrative penalty order has not been satisfied within 30 days of its issuance, the penalty may be sued for and recovered by the commissioner in a summary proceeding in the Superior Court under "the penalty enforcement law" (N.J.S. 2A:58-1 et seq.).

c. The commissioner may suspend, cancel, revoke, or refuse to issue any endorsement to the license of any owner or operator who violates any provision of subsection a. above.

Where the owner or operator found to be in violation of subsection a. of this section is a corporation, then the commissioner may suspend, cancel, revoke, or refuse to issue any endorsement to the license of: (1) the officers, directors and shareholders of the corporation, and (2) any corporation owning or operating a rooming or boarding house that has among its officers, directors or shareholders any person whose license has been suspended, cancelled or revoked pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection.

d. Where either the owner or operator of a boarding or rooming house found to be in violation of subsection a. above is a corporation, then, in addition to the corporation being subject to the penalties set forth in subsection b., the officers and directors of the corporation are subject, individually and personally, to those penalties.

L. 1979, c. 496, s. 10. Amended by L. 1985, c. 413, s. 1.