56:8-14 Enforcement of penalty; process.

2. The Superior Court and every municipal court shall have jurisdiction of proceedings for the collection and enforcement of a penalty imposed because of the violation, within the territorial jurisdiction of the court, of any provision of the act to which this act is a supplement. Except as otherwise provided in this act the penalty shall be collected and enforced in a summary proceeding pursuant to "the penalty enforcement law" (N.J.S.2A:58-1 et seq.). Process shall be either in the nature of a summons or warrant and shall issue in the name of the State, upon the complaint of the Attorney General or any other person.

In any action brought pursuant to this section to enforce any order of the Attorney General or his designee the court may, without regard to jurisdictional limitations, restore to any person in interest any moneys or property, real or personal, which have been acquired by any means declared to be unlawful under this act, except that the court shall restore to any senior citizen twice the amount or value, as the case may be, of any moneys or property, real or personal, which have been acquired by any means declared to be unlawful under P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.).

In the event that any person found to have violated any provision of this act fails to pay a civil penalty assessed by the court, the court may issue, upon application by the Attorney General, a warrant for the arrest of such person for the purpose of bringing him before the court to satisfy the civil penalty imposed.

A person who fails to restore any moneys or property, real or personal, found to have been acquired unlawfully from a senior citizen shall be subject to punishment for criminal contempt pursuant to N.J.S.2C:29-9, which is a crime of the fourth degree.

L.1966,c.39,s.2; amended 1971, c.247, s.10; 1991, c.91, s.526; 1999, c.298, s.4.