(A) After notice, the administrator may order a creditor, a person acting on his behalf, or a person subject to this title to cease and desist from engaging in violations of this title. A respondent aggrieved by an order of the administrator may request a contested case before the Administrative Law Court in accordance with the Administrative Law Court's rules of procedure. The administrator may obtain an order from the Administrative Law Court for enforcement of his orders as provided in the Administrative Procedures Act and the Administrative Law Court's rules of procedure. The proceeding for enforcement must be initiated by filing a petition with the Administrative Law Court in accordance with the Administrative Law Court's rules of procedure, and copies of the request for a contested case hearing must be served upon all parties of record.
(B) The jurisdiction of the Administrative Law Court is exclusive, and its final order may be appealed as provided in Sections 1-23-610 and 1-23-380.
(C) A request for a contested case hearing pursuant to this section must be initiated within thirty days after a copy of the order of the administrator is received. If a request is not initiated, the administrator may move for an order from the Administrative Law Court for enforcement of his order upon a showing that the order was issued in compliance with this section, that a request for a contested case hearing was not initiated within thirty days after a copy of the order was received, and that the respondent is subject to the jurisdiction of the Administrative Law Court.
(D) For purposes of this section and Sections 37-6-117 and 37-6-118, a violation of the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act arising out of the production, promotion, or sale of consumer goods, services, or interests in land is considered a violation of this title subject to action by the administrator.
(E) Unless otherwise specifically provided by law, the following administrative penalties may be levied against persons found to have engaged in violations of this title pursuant to subsection (A):
(1) If the violator is found to have violated repeatedly and intentionally a provision of this title, the violator must be fined in an amount not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars and not to exceed ten thousand dollars for a transaction or occurrence or set of transactions or occurrences which violated multiple provisions of this title.
(2) If the violator is shown to have violated a previous lawful order of the tribunal of competent jurisdiction, the violator may be fined in an amount not to exceed five thousand dollars for each violation.
(3) The penalties in items (1) and (2) are in addition to any other penalties provided by law or any other remedies provided by law.
(F) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, a person who violates the provisions of Section 37-2-308 must be punished as follows:
(1) for a first violation, the department shall send a written warning to the motor vehicle dealer;
(2) for a second violation in a six-month period, the department may charge a five hundred dollar administrative penalty;
(3) for a third violation in a six-month period, the department may charge not more than a one thousand dollar administrative penalty; and
(4) for a fourth violation in a six-month period, the department may charge not more than a ten thousand dollar administrative penalty.
Continued violations of the provisions of Section 37-2-308 may be considered grounds for revocation, suspension, and nonrenewal of a dealer license pursuant to Section 56-15-350. For the purposes of this subsection, a violation is defined as each notice received by the dealer for an offense. Each notice received by the dealer for a related offense serves as a subsequent violation. Additionally, the department must send notices of all offenses to motor vehicle dealers who have violated the provisions of Section 37-2-308 by mail.
(G) The Administrative Law Judge may make findings and issue and enforce cease and desist orders regarding unconscionable conduct or unconscionable debt collection pursuant to this section, but the administrative law judge may not award damage, treble damage, or attorney's fee remedies to affected customers in these hearings.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 8-800.378; 1974 (58) 2879; 1991 Act No. 142, Section 17; 1999 Act No. 55, Section 36; 2001 Act No. 82, Section 2, eff July 20, 2001; 2005 Act No. 128, Section 4, eff July 1, 2005; 2010 Act No. 172, Section 2, eff January 1, 2011; 2016 Act No. 244 (H.5040), Section 10, eff June 5, 2016.
Editor's Note
2005 Act No. 128, Section 27, provides as follows:
"This act takes effect on July 1, 2005, and applies to all licensing and administrative hearings involving the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs."
Effect of Amendment
2016 Act No. 244, Section 10, in (D), substituted "administrator" for "administrator before the Administrative Law Court".