(1) Any person injured as a result of an act or practice which violates this act may bring a civil action for appropriate relief, including an action for a declaratory judgment, injunctive relief, and actual damages.
(2) On the application for a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction, the court, in its discretion having due regard for the public interest, may require or dispense with the requirement of a bond, with or without surety, as conditions and circumstances may require. If a bond is required, the amount shall not be greater than $50,000. Upon proper application by the plaintiff, the court shall grant preliminary injunctive relief if the plaintiff shows:
(a) That he or she is a proper person to seek the relief requested.
(b) There exist sufficiently serious questions going to the merits to make such questions a fair ground for litigation; and the court determines, on balance, the hardships imposed on the defendant and the public interest by the issuance of such preliminary injunctive relief will be less than the hardship which would be imposed on the plaintiff if such preliminary injunctive relief were not granted.
The standards specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) shall also apply to actions for injunctive relief brought by the department under s. 526.311.
(3) Any actual damages found to have resulted from violations of this act may be trebled by the court.
(4) The court shall award a reasonable attorney’s fee to the prevailing plaintiff and may award a reasonable attorney’s fee to the prevailing defendant.
History.—s. 11, ch. 85-74; s. 6, ch. 91-247; s. 720, ch. 97-103; s. 40, ch. 2000-258; s. 18, ch. 2000-308.