Sec. 408.516. - Administrative penalties.

(a) If the Commission, or its designee, determines at a hearing under Section 408.515 of this Part that a respondent has engaged in or is about to engage in a discriminatory housing practice, the Commission, or its designee, may order the appropriate relief, including actual damages, reasonable attorney's fees, costs, and other injunctive or equitable relief. (b) To vindicate the public interest, the Commission, or its designee, may assess a civil penalty against the respondent in an amount that does not exceed: (1) Ten thousand dollars if the respondent has not been adjudged by order of the Commission or a court to have committed a prior discriminatory housing practice; (2) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this Section, $25,000 if the respondent has been adjudged by order of the Commission or a court to have committed one other discriminatory housing practice during the five-year period ending on the date of the filing of the charge; and (3) Except as provided by subsection (c) of this Section, $50,000 if the respondent has been adjudged by order of the Commission or a court to have committed two or more discriminatory housing practices during the seven-year period ending on the date of the filing of the charge. (c) If the acts constituting the discriminatory housing practice that is the object of the charge are committed by the same person who has been previously adjudged to have committed acts constituting a discriminatory housing practice, whether adjudged by this or other agencies, the civil penalties in subsections (b)(2) and (3) of this Section may be imposed without regard to the period of time within which any other discriminatory housing practice occurred. (d) At the request of the Commission, the General Counsel's office shall sue to recover a civil penalty due under this Section. Funds collected under this Section shall be paid to City of Jacksonville Finance and Administration Department and shall be used to offset expenses incurred by the Commission or General Counsel's office in enforcing this Part. (e) The penalties provided for under this Section are applicable regardless of whether the Commission or aggrieved party initiated the investigation under this Part. (Ord. 96-1089-659, § 1; Ord. 2004-699-E, § 24; Ord. 2016-140-E , § 16) Editor's note— Ordinance 2007-839-E, § 18, authorized updated department/division names pursuant to reorganization.