ORS 317.991: Civil penalty; noncompliance with ORS 317.097 relating to credit for housing rehabilitation loans.

(1) The Director of the Housing and Community Services Department may assess a civil penalty against any project owner in an amount not to exceed three times the value of the tax credit available in any year on a project during which the owner does not comply with the provisions of ORS 317.097 and the rules promulgated thereunder. (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, an order of the director assessing such a civil penalty shall be deemed final, unless review from the director is requested in writing within 30 days of receipt of notice thereof. The request shall specify the grounds upon which the project owner contests the proposed order of assessment. (3) The issuance of orders assessing civil penalties pursuant to this section, the conduct of hearings and the judicial review thereof shall be as provided in ORS chapter 183. (4) When an order assessing a civil penalty becomes final by operation of law or on appeal, unless the amount of penalty is paid within 10 days after the order becomes final, the order constitutes a judgment and may be recorded with the county clerk in any county of this state. The clerk shall thereupon record the name of the project owner incurring the penalty and the amount of the penalty in the County Clerk Lien Record. The penalty provided in the order so recorded shall become a lien upon the title to any interest in property owned by the project owner against whom the order is entered, and execution may be issued upon the order in the same manner as execution upon a judgment of a court of record. (5) Civil penalties, and judgments entered thereon, due to the director under this section from any project owner shall be deemed preferred to all general claims in all bankruptcy proceedings, trustee proceedings and proceedings for the administration of estates and receiverships involving the project owner liable therefor or the property of such project owner. (6) All moneys collected under this section shall be paid into the Housing Finance Fund. (7) All costs of enforcement and collection, including attorney fees, may be paid by the director directly from the Housing Finance Fund without further authorization of law. (8) As used in this section, “director” means the Director of the Housing and Community Services Department. [1991 c.737 §4; 1999 c.21 §48] _______________