PRIA Logo™
Take the PRIA Score
Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§1717a Civil money penalties

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 42— - INTERSTATE LAND SALES › § 1717a

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Director can fine anyone who knowingly and seriously breaks the rules under this chapter. The fine can be up to $1,000 for each violation, but no person can be fined more than $1,000,000 for all violations in any one-year period. Each sale, lease, or offer to sell or lease is a separate violation, and a continuing violation counts each day. The fines are in addition to other civil or criminal penalties. The Director must create rules for how fines are handled and must give people a chance for a hearing. If no hearing is asked for within 15 days after getting a hearing notice, the fine becomes final and cannot be appealed. The Director may review hearing decisions and can affirm, change, or reverse them; if the Director does not act within 90 days, the decision becomes final. When setting a fine, the Director must consider things like how serious the offense was, any past offenses (including those before December 15, 1989), ability to pay, harm to the public, benefits gained, and deterrence. After using all administrative steps, a person can seek judicial review under section 1710 and the court may order payment. If a person still won’t pay after the decision is final, the Director can ask the Attorney General to sue in federal court for a money judgment and other relief, and the court may award the United States its legal costs; the court may not re‑examine the Director’s penalty decision. The Director can also settle, reduce, or cancel fines, must issue implementing regulations, and collected fines go to the Director and may be used to help pay for services under this chapter if Congress approves. "Knowingly" means having actual knowledge, acting with deliberate ignorance, or acting with reckless disregard for the rules.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §1717a

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Whenever any person knowingly and materially violates any of the provisions of this chapter or any rule, regulation, or order issued under this chapter, the Director may impose a civil money penalty on such person in accordance with the provisions of this section. The penalty shall be in addition to any other available civil remedy or any available criminal penalty, and may be imposed whether or not the Director imposes other administrative sanctions.
(2)The amount of the penalty, as determined by the Director, may not exceed $1,000 for each violation, except that the maximum penalty for all violations by a particular person during any 1-year period shall not exceed $1,000,000. Each violation of this chapter, or any rule, regulation, or order issued under this chapter, shall constitute a separate violation with respect to each sale or lease or offer to sell or lease. In the case of a continuing violation, as determined by the Director, each day shall constitute a separate violation.
(b)(1)The Director shall establish standards and procedures governing the imposition of civil money penalties under subsection (a). The standards and procedures—
(A)shall provide for the imposition of a penalty only after a person has been given an opportunity for a hearing on the record; and
(B)may provide for review by the Director of any determination or order, or interlocutory ruling, arising from a hearing.
(2)If no hearing is requested within 15 days of receipt of the notice of opportunity for hearing, the imposition of the penalty shall constitute a final and unappealable determination. If the Director reviews the determination or order, the Director may affirm, modify, or reverse that determination or order. If the Director does not review the determination or order within 90 days of the issuance of the determination or order, the determination or order shall be final.
(3)In determining the amount of a penalty under subsection (a), consideration shall be given to such factors as the gravity of the offense, any history of prior offenses (including offenses occurring before December 15, 1989), ability to pay the penalty, injury to the public, benefits received, deterrence of future violations, and such other factors as the Director may determine in regulations to be appropriate.
(4)The Secretary’s 11 So in original. Probably should be “Director’s”. determination or order imposing a penalty under subsection (a) shall not be subject to review, except as provided in subsection (c).
(c)(1)After exhausting all administrative remedies established by the Director under subsection (b)(1), a person aggrieved by a final order of the Director assessing a penalty under this section may seek judicial review pursuant to section 1710 of this title.
(2)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any such review, the court shall have the power to order payment of the penalty imposed by the Director.
(d)If any person fails to comply with the determination or order of the Director imposing a civil money penalty under subsection (a), after the determination or order is no longer subject to review as provided by subsections (b) and (c), the Director may request the Attorney General of the United States to bring an action in any appropriate United States district court to obtain a monetary judgment against the person and such other relief as may be available. The monetary judgment may, in the discretion of the court, include any attorneys fees and other expenses incurred by the United States in connection with the action. In an action under this subsection, the validity and appropriateness of the Secretary’s 1 determination or order imposing the penalty shall not be subject to review.
(e)The Director may compromise, modify, or remit any civil money penalty which may be, or has been, imposed under this section.
(f)The term “knowingly” means having actual knowledge of or acting with deliberate ignorance of or reckless disregard for the prohibitions under this section.
(g)The Director shall issue such regulations as the Director deems appropriate to implement this section.
(h)Civil money penalties collected under this section shall be paid to the Director and, upon approval in an appropriation Act, may be used by the Director to cover all or part of the cost of rendering services under this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2010—Pub. L. 111–203 substituted “Director” for “Secretary” wherever appearing.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2010 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 111–203 effective on the designated transfer date, see section 1100H of Pub. L. 111–203, set out as a note under section 552a of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Effective Date

Pub. L. 101–235, title I, § 111(b), Dec. 15, 1989, 103 Stat. 2016, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [enacting this section] shall apply only with respect to— “(1) violations referred to in the amendment that occur on or after the

Effective Date

of this section [Dec. 15, 1989]; and “(2) in the case of a continuing violation (as determined by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), any portion of violation referred to in the amendment that occurs on or after such date.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 1717a

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73