58:10A-37.15 Violations, penalties.

15. a. A person who purposely, knowingly, recklessly, or negligently provides false documents or false information to the authority or to the department, or withholds documents or information, in relation to an application for financial assistance from the fund or in relation to documents or information that may be required as a condition of receiving an award of financial assistance from the fund, shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $50,000. Any penalty incurred under this subsection may be recovered with costs in a summary proceeding pursuant to "the penalty enforcement law," N.J.S.2A:58-1 et seq. in the Superior Court.

b. (1) The authority may commence a civil action in Superior Court to recover any financial assistance awarded to an applicant from the fund if financial assistance was obtained, in whole or in part, as the result of providing false documents or false information to the authority or to the department or by withholding documents or information from the authority or the department. The action to recover money awarded by the authority may be combined with any action to impose penalties provided for in subsection a. of this section.

(2) The authority may commence a civil action in Superior Court to recover any financial assistance awarded as a loan where the recipient of the loan has not made loan repayments in accordance with the loan agreement, where any condition or provision of the loan agreement has been violated by the loan recipient, or to enforce any lien filed pursuant to the issuance of financial assistance.

c. (1) A person who purposely or knowingly provides false documents or false information to the authority or to the department, or withholds documents or information, in relation to an application for financial assistance from the fund or in relation to documents or information that may be required as a condition of receiving an award of financial assistance from the fund, with the intent to alter the applicant's eligibility for financial assistance from the fund, alter the priority of the applicant's application to receive financial assistance from the fund, cause the applicant to receive a larger grant award than the applicant would otherwise be eligible for, or obtain financial assistance from the fund in excess of the eligible project costs, shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree.

(2) A person who recklessly provides false documents or false information to the authority or to the department, or withholds documents or information, in relation to an application for financial assistance from the fund or in relation to documents or information that may be required as a condition of receiving an award of financial assistance from the fund, which results in the alteration of the applicant's eligibility for financial assistance from the fund, the alteration of the priority of the applicant's application to receive financial assistance from the fund, which causes the applicant to receive a larger grant award than the applicant would otherwise be eligible for, or obtain financial assistance from the fund in excess of the eligible project costs, shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.

L.1997,c.235,s.15.