Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/WVCODE/ChapterEntire.cfm?chap=14
Timestamp: 2018-05-25 22:34:21
Document Index: 205127654

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WV Code Chapter 14
ARTICLE 1A. DEBT RESOLUTION SERVICES.
§14-1A-1. Purpose.
The purpose of this article is to provide for a timely and efficient mechanism for the offset of delinquent debt owed the state from payments made by the state.
§14-1A-2. Definitions.
“Auditor” means the State Auditor;
“Debt” means the obligations, other than income tax obligations or local government obligations, owed to the state which a spending unit has not been able to collect within a minimum of one hundred eighty days of the date on which the obligation was created;
“Division” means the Debt Resolution Services Division, created by this article;
“Offset” means the capture and diversion of a payment due to a vendor, contractor or taxpayer from the state to satisfy an outstanding obligation owed by them to the state; and
“United States Treasury Offset Program” means the reciprocal debt collection offset program between the federal government and the State of West Virginia authorized by section thirty-seven, article one of this chapter.
§14-1A-3. Division Established.
(a) The Auditor may establish a “Debt Resolution Services Division” to be administered by the employees of his or her office, which may identify and offset state payments due to vendors, contractors, or taxpayers that owe delinquent debts to the state.
(b) The division may also administer the United States Treasury Offset Program established pursuant to section thirty-seven, article one, of this chapter, except for the portion of the program set forth in subdivision (2), subsection (j), section eleven, article ten, chapter eleven of this code, that is administered by the State Tax Commissioner: Provided, That an offset exercised against a vendor, contractor, or taxpayer pursuant to the United States Treasury Offset Program shall be made subsequent to any offset authorized pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
(c) The division shall adopt such procedures, forms, and agreements as the Auditor considers necessary to effectuate the purposes of this article. All spending units of the state, except for the State Tax Commissioner and any other entity otherwise exempted by law, may refer delinquent debt to the division for consideration for offset and shall certify to the Auditor that all applicable due process requirements have been met. All spending units, upon request by the Auditor, shall provide the division with information related to debts owed to the state, unless such disclosure is prohibited by law. The Auditor is not required to accept the transfer of any debt from any spending unit which the Auditor finds is not qualified for offset.
(d) The Auditor shall deposit any moneys offset pursuant to this article to the account or fund of the spending unit to which the debt, if otherwise paid, would be deposited.
“Commission” means the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission established by section four of this article.
“Claim” means a claim authorized to be heard by the commission in accordance with this article.
“Approved claim” means a claim found by the commission to be one that should be paid under the provisions of this article.
“Award” means the amount recommended by the commission to be paid in satisfaction of an approved claim.
“Clerk” means the clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission.
“State agency” means a state department, board, commission, institution, or other administrative agency of state government: Provided, That a “state agency” shall not be considered to include county commissions, county boards of education, municipalities, or any other political or local subdivision of the state regardless of any state aid that might be provided.
§14-2-4. Court of Claims to be continued and renamed the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission; appointment and terms of commissioners; vacancies.
The “Court of Claims” is hereby renamed the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission. It shall consist of three commissioners, to be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates, one of whom shall be appointed presiding commissioner. The judges of the Court of Claims sitting on the effective date of the amendments to this article enacted during the 2017 Regular Session of the Legislature will continue their existing terms as commissioners. Each appointment to the commission shall be made from a list of three qualified nominees furnished by the Board of Governors of the West Virginia State Bar. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates may jointly terminate the appointment of any commissioner appointed under this section at any time.
The terms of the commissioners shall be six years. Not more than two of the commissioners shall be of the same political party. An appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term.
§14-2-6
Acts, 2017 Reg. Sess., Ch. 29.
§14-2-7. Meeting place of the commission.
The regular meeting place of the commission shall be at the State Capitol, and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance shall provide adequate quarters therefor. In order to facilitate the full hearing of claims arising elsewhere in the state, the commission may convene at any county seat or other location in the state, including a correctional institution: Provided, That the commission will make reasonable efforts to meet in appropriate public or private buildings in keeping with the dignity and decorum of the State.
§14-2-8. Compensation of commissioners; expenses.
Each commissioner shall receive $210 for each day actually served and expenses incurred in the performance of his or her duties paid at the same per diem rate as members of the Legislature: Provided, That the presiding commissioner shall receive an additional $50 for each day actually served. In addition to the expense per diem, each commissioner may, when using his or her own vehicle, be reimbursed for mileage. The number of days served by each commissioner shall not exceed one hundred twenty in any fiscal year, except by authority of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates: Provided, That in computing the number of days served, days utilized solely for the exercise of duties assigned to commissioners by this article and the provisions of article two-a of this chapter shall be disregarded. For the purpose of this section, time served shall include time spent in the hearing of claims, in the consideration of the record, in the preparation of opinions and in necessary travel.
Each commissioner shall before entering upon the duties of his or her office, take and subscribe to the oath prescribed by section 5, article IV of the Constitution of the State. The oath shall be filed with the clerk.
§14-2-10. Qualifications of commissioners.
Each commissioner appointed to the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission shall be an attorney at law, licensed to practice in this state, and shall have been so licensed to practice law for a period of not less than ten years prior to his or her appointment as commissioner. A commissioner shall not be an officer or an employee of any branch of state government, except in his or her capacity as a member of the commission and shall receive no other compensation from the state or any of its political subdivisions. A commissioner shall not hear or participate in the consideration of any claim in which he or she is interested personally, either directly or indirectly.
Unless expressly exempted in the code, the Attorney General shall represent the interests of the State in all claims coming before the commission.
§14-2-12. General powers of the commission.
The commission shall, in accordance with this article, consider claims which, but for the Constitutional immunity of the state from suit, or for some statutory restrictions, inhibitions or limitations, could be maintained in the regular courts of the state. No liability shall be imposed upon the state or any state agency by a determination of the commission approving a claim and recommending an award, unless the claim is: (1) Made under an existing appropriation, in accordance with section nineteen of this article; or (2) a claim under a special appropriation, as provided in section twenty of this article. The commission shall consider claims in accordance with the provisions of this article.
Except as is otherwise provided in this article, a claim shall be instituted by the filing of notice with the clerk. In accordance with rules promulgated by the commission, each claim shall be considered by the commission as a whole, or by a commissioner sitting individually, and if, after consideration, the commission finds that a claim is just and proper, it shall so determine and shall file with the clerk a brief statement of its reasons. A claim so filed shall be an approved claim. The commission shall also determine the amount that should be paid to the claimant, and shall itemize this amount as an award, with the reasons therefor, in its statement filed with the clerk. In determining the amount of a claim, interest shall not be allowed unless the claim is based upon a contract which specifically provides for the payment of interest.
§14-2-13. Jurisdiction of the commission.
The jurisdiction of the commission, except for the claims excluded by section fourteen, shall extend to the following matters:
(1)(A) The claimant has been convicted of one or more felonies or misdemeanors against the state and subsequently sentenced to a term of confinement, and has served all or any part of the sentence; or
(2)(A) Another person was subsequently charged, arrested and convicted of the same felony or felonies or misdemeanors;
The jurisdiction of the commission shall not extend to any claim:
2. For a disability or death benefit under chapter twenty-three of this code.
The commission shall adopt and may from time to time amend rules of procedure, in accordance with the provisions of this article, governing proceedings before the commission. Rules shall be designed to assure a simple, expeditious and inexpensive consideration of claims. Rules shall permit a claimant to appear in his or her own behalf or be represented by counsel.
Discovery may be used in a case pending before the commission in the same manner that discovery is conducted pursuant to the Rules of Civil Procedure for trial courts of record, Rules 26 through 36. The commission may compel discovery and impose sanctions for a failure to make discovery, in the same manner as a court is authorized to do under the provisions of Rule 37 of the Rules of Civil Procedure for trial courts of record: Provided, That the commission shall not find a person in contempt for failure to comply with an order compelling discovery.
The commission, upon its own motion or upon motion of a party, may strike a pleading, motion or other paper which: (1) Is not well-grounded in fact; (2) is not warranted by existing law, or is not based on a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law; or (3) is interposed for any improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in costs. An order striking a pleading, motion, or paper may include an order to pay to the other party or parties the amount of the reasonable expenses incurred because of the filing of the pleading, motion, or other paper, including a reasonable attorney’s fee.
Under its rules, the commission shall not be bound by the usual common law or statutory rules of evidence. The commission may accept and weigh, in accordance with its evidential value, any information that will assist the commission in determining the factual basis of a claim.
(2) The clerk shall transmit a copy of the notice to the state agency concerned. The state agency may deny the claim, or may request a postponement of proceedings to permit negotiations with the claimant. If the commission finds that a claim is prima facie within its jurisdiction, it shall order the claim to be placed upon its regular docket for hearing.
(4) The commission shall so conduct the hearing as to disclose all material facts and issues of liability and may examine or cross-examine witnesses. The commission may call witnesses or require evidence not produced by the parties; the commission may call expert witnesses and compensate those experts for their services in an amount not to exceed $3,500 per expert; the commission may stipulate the questions to be argued by the parties; and the commission may continue the hearing until some subsequent time to permit a more complete presentation of the claim.
(5) After the close of the hearing the commission shall consider the claim and shall conclude its determination, if possible, within sixty days.
3. The amount claimed does not exceed $3,000.
The state agency concerned shall prepare the record of the claim consisting of all papers, stipulations and evidential documents required by the rules of the commission and file the same with the clerk. The commission shall consider the claim informally upon the record submitted. If the commission determines that the claim should be entered as an approved claim and an award made, it shall so order and shall file its statement with the clerk. If the commission finds that the record is inadequate, or that the claim should not be paid, it shall reject the claim. The rejection of a claim under this section shall not bar its resubmission under the regular procedure.
§14-2-17a. Shortened procedure for road condition claims.
Notwithstanding the regular and shortened procedures provided for in sections sixteen and seventeen of this article, there shall be a shortened procedure for road condition claims. The shortened procedure authorized by this section shall apply only to a claim possessing all of the following characteristics:
(1) The claim does not arise under an appropriation for the current fiscal year.
(2) The claim alleges that a condition on the state’s highways or roads caused property damage.
(3) The Division of Highways concurs in the claim.
(4) The amount claimed does not exceed $1,000.
The Division of Highways shall prepare a stipulation concerning the claim and file it with the clerk. The commission shall order the claim approved and shall file its statement with the clerk.
§14-2-18
A claim arising under an appropriation made by the Legislature during the fiscal year to which the appropriation applies, and falling within the jurisdiction of the commission, may be submitted by:
When such submittal is made, the clerk shall give a copy of the submittal to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance. If the Joint Committee on Government and Finance shall so direct, the clerk shall place such claim on its docket. Upon its placement on the docket, the regular procedure, so far as applicable, shall govern the consideration of the claim by the commission. If the commission finds that the claimant should be paid, it shall certify the approved claim and award to the head of the appropriate state agency, the State Auditor and to the Governor. The Governor may thereupon instruct the Auditor to issue his or her warrant in payment of the award and to charge the amount thereof to the proper appropriation. The Auditor shall forthwith notify the state agency that the claim has been paid. Such an expenditure shall not be subject to further review by the Auditor upon any matter determined and certified by the commission.
The claim shall be considered and determined by the regular or shortened procedure, as the case may be, and the amount of the award shall be fixed by the commission. The clerk shall certify each approved claim and award, and requisition relating thereto, to the Auditor. The Auditor thereupon shall issue his or her warrant to the Treasurer in favor of the claimant. The Auditor shall issue his or her warrant without further examination or review of the claim except for the question of a sufficient unexpended balance in the appropriation.
The commission shall not take jurisdiction of any claim, whether accruing before or after the effective date of this article (July 1, 1967), unless notice of such claim be filed with the clerk within such period of limitation as would be applicable under the pertinent provisions of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, if the claim were against a private person, firm or corporation and the Constitutional immunity of the state from suit were not involved and such period of limitation may not be waived or extended. The foregoing provision shall not be held to limit or restrict the right of any person, firm or corporation who or which had a claim against the state or any state agency, pending before the Attorney General on the effective date of this article (July 1, 1967), from presenting such claim to the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission, nor shall it limit or restrict the right to file such a claim which was, on the effective date of this article (July 1, 1967), pending in any court of record as a legal claim and which, after such date was or may be adjudicated in such court to be invalid as a claim against the state because of the Constitutional immunity of the state from suit.
In all hearings and proceedings before the commission, the evidence and testimony of witnesses and the production of documentary evidence may be required. Subpoenas may be issued by the commission for appearance at any designated place of hearing. In case of disobedience to a subpoena or other process, the commission may invoke the aid of any circuit court in requiring the evidence and testimony of witnesses, and the production of books, papers and documents. Upon proper showing, the circuit court shall issue an order requiring witnesses to appear before the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission; produce books, papers and other evidence; and give testimony touching the matter in question. A person failing to obey the order may be punished by the circuit court as for contempt.
The clerk shall certify to the department of finance and administration, on or before November 20, of each year, a list of all awards recommended by the commission to the Legislature for appropriation. The clerk may certify supplementary lists to the Governor to include subsequent awards made by the commission. The Governor shall include all awards so certified in his or her proposed budget bill transmitted to the Legislature. Any other provision of this article or of law to the contrary notwithstanding, the clerk shall not certify any award which has been previously certified.
The record of each claim considered by the commission, including all documents, papers, briefs, transcripts of testimony and other materials, shall be preserved by the clerk for a period of ten years from the date of entry of the commission’s last order and shall be made available to the Legislature or any committee thereof for the reexamination of the claim. When any such documents, papers, briefs, transcripts and other materials have been so preserved by the clerk for such ten-year period, the same shall be transferred to the state records administrator for preservation or disposition in accordance with the provisions of article eight, chapter five-a of this code without cost, either to the commission or the Legislature.
A person who knowingly and willfully presents or attempts to present a false or fraudulent claim, or a state officer or employee who knowingly and willfully participates or assists in the preparation or presentation of a false or fraudulent claim, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. A person convicted, in a court of competent jurisdiction, of violation of this section shall be fined not more than $1,000 or confined for not more than one year, or both, in the discretion of such court. If the convicted person is a state officer or employee, he or she shall, in addition, forfeit his or her office or position of employment, as the case may be.
Any final determination against the claimant on any claim presented as provided in this article shall forever bar any further claim in the commission arising out of the rejected claim.
(a) It is the policy of the Legislature to make no appropriation to pay any claims against the state, cognizable by the commission, unless the claim has first been passed upon by the commission.
(b) Because a decision of the commission is a recommendation to the Legislature based upon a finding of moral obligation, and the enactment process of passage of legislation authorizing payments of claims recommended by the commission is at legislative discretion, no right of appeal exists to findings and award recommendations of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission and they are not subject to judicial review.
§14-2A-1. Short title.
The act heretofore created by this article and known and cited as the "West Virginia Crime Reparation Act of 1981" shall henceforth be known and cited as the "West Virginia Crime Victims Compensation Act." Any and all funds existing under the West Virginia crime reparation act of 1981 shall continue for the purposes set forth in this article, notwithstanding the amendments to the name of the act or a redesignation of the special revenue fund in the state Treasury as herein provided.
§14-2A-2. Legislative findings; purpose and intent.
The Legislature finds and declares that a primary purpose of government is to provide for the safety of citizens and the inviolability of their property. To the extent that innocent citizens are victims of crime, particularly violent crime, and are without adequate redress for injury to their person or property, this primary purpose of government is defeated. The people of West Virginia are demonstrably peaceful, and, in comparison to the citizens of other states, suffer a lower crime rate. In establishing the West Virginia Crime Reparation Act of 1981, the Legislature stated its findings that the provision of governmental services to prevent crime is not wholly effective and expressed its intent to establish a system of compensation for the victims of crime which would provide a partial remedy for the failure of the state to fully achieve this primary purpose of government.
The Legislature now finds that the system of compensation established by the act as an experimental effort by the Legislature of this state on behalf of its people, after having been reviewed and perfected in its initial stages, should be continued and retained in the legislative branch of government as an expression of a moral obligation of the state to provide partial compensation to the innocent victims of crime for injury suffered to their person or property.
(4) A person who is authorized to act on behalf of a victim, dependent or a third person who is not a collateral source including, but not limited to, assignees, persons holding power of attorney or others who hold authority to make or submit claims in place of or on behalf of a victim, a dependent or third person who is not a collateral source and if the victim, dependent or third person who is not a collateral source is a minor or other legally incompetent person, their duly qualified fiduciary; and
(5) A person who is a secondary victim in need of mental health counseling due to the person's exposure to the crime committed whose award may not exceed $1,000;
(c) "Criminally injurious conduct" means conduct that occurs or is attempted in this state, or in any state not having a victim compensation program, which poses a substantial threat of personal injury or death and is punishable by fine or imprisonment. "Criminally injurious conduct" also includes criminally injurious conduct committed outside of the United States against a resident of this state. "Criminally injurious conduct" does not include conduct arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle unless the person engaging in the conduct intended to cause personal injury or death or committed negligent homicide, driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances or drugs, leaving the scene of the accident or reckless driving.
(e) "Economic loss" means economic detriment consisting only of allowable expense, work loss and replacement services loss. If criminally injurious conduct causes death, "economic loss" includes a dependent's economic loss and a dependent's replacement services loss. Noneconomic detriment is not economic loss; however, economic loss may be caused by pain and suffering or physical impairment. For purposes of this article, the term "economic loss" includes a lost scholarship as defined in this section.
(3) Victim relocation costs not to exceed $2,500;
(4) Reasonable travel expenses not to exceed $1,000 for a claimant to attend court proceedings conducted for the prosecution of the offender;
(5) Reasonable travel expenses for a claimant to return a person who is a minor or incapacitated adult who has been unlawfully removed from this state to another state or country if the removal constitutes a crime under the laws of this state which may not exceed $2,000 for expenses to another state or $3,000 to another country; and
(6) Reasonable travel expenses for the transportation of a victim to and from a medical facility.
A person who suffers personal injury or death as a result of any one of the following:
(m) "Lost scholarship" means a scholarship, academic award, stipend, student loan or other monetary scholastic assistance which had been awarded, conferred upon or obtained by a victim in conjunction with a post-secondary school educational program and which the victim is unable to receive or use, in whole or in part, due to injuries received from criminally injurious conduct.
§14-2A-5. Jurisdiction.
Any commissioner of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission individually, or the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission en banc, shall have jurisdiction to approve awards of compensation arising from criminally injurious conduct, in accordance with the provisions of this article, if satisfied by a preponderance of the evidence that the requirements for an award of compensation have been met.
§14-2A-6. Compensation of commissioners serving under this article.
Compensation of commissioners for services performed under this article, and actual expenses incurred in the performance of duties as commissioners under this article, shall be paid out of the crime victims compensation fund.
§14-2A-7
§14-2A-8. Commissioners' oath of office.
Each commissioner shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, take and subscribe to the oath prescribed by section five, article four of the Constitution of the State. The oath shall be filed with the clerk.
The West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission, with the approval of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates, is hereby authorized to hire not more than four claim investigators to be employed within the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission, who shall carry out the functions and duties set forth in section twelve of this article. Claim investigators shall serve at the pleasure of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates and under the administrative supervision of the clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission. The compensation of claim investigators shall be fixed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates, and such compensation, together with travel, clerical and other expenses of the clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission relating to a claim investigator carrying out his or her duties under this article, including the cost of obtaining reports required by the investigator in investigating a claim, shall be payable from the crime victims compensation fund as appropriated for such purpose by the Legislature.
The West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission, with the approval of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates, is hereby authorized to hire as support staff such paralegal or paralegals and secretary or secretaries to be employed within the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission, necessary to carry out the functions and duties of this article. Such support staff shall serve at the will and pleasure of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission and under the administrative supervision of the clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission.
§14-2A-10. Filing of application for compensation award; contents.
(a) A claim for an award of compensation shall be commenced by filing an application for an award of compensation with the clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission. The application shall be in a form prescribed by the clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission and shall contain the information specified in subdivisions (1) through (6) of this subsection and, to the extent possible, the information in subdivisions (7) through (10) of this subsection:
(1) The name and address of the victim of the criminally injurious conduct, the name and address of the claimant and the relationship of the claimant to the victim;
(2) The nature of the criminally injurious conduct that is the basis for the claim and the date on which the conduct occurred;
(3) The law-enforcement agency or officer to whom the criminally injurious conduct was reported and the date on which it was reported;
(4) Whether the claimant is the spouse, parent, child, brother or sister of the offender, or is similarly related to an accomplice of the offender who committed the criminally injurious conduct;
(5) A release authorizing the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission and the claim investigator to obtain any report, document or information that relates to the determination of the claim for an award of compensation;
(6) If the victim is deceased, the name and address of each dependent of the victim and the extent to which each is dependent upon the victim for care and support;
(7) The nature and extent of the injuries that the victim sustained from the criminally injurious conduct for which compensation is sought, the name and address of any person who gave medical treatment to the victim for the injuries, the name and address of any hospital or similar institution where the victim received medical treatment for the injuries, and whether the victim died as a result of the injuries;
(8) The total amount of the economic loss that the victim, a dependent or the claimant sustained or will sustain as a result of the criminally injurious conduct, without regard to the financial limitation set forth in subsection (g), section fourteen of this article;
(9) The amount of benefits or advantages that the victim, a dependent or other claimant has received or is entitled to receive from any collateral source for economic loss that resulted from the criminally injurious conduct, and the name of each collateral source;
(10) Any additional relevant information that the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission may require. The West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission may require the claimant to submit, with the application, materials to substantiate the facts that are stated in the application.
(b) All applications for an award of compensation shall be filed within two years after the occurrence of the criminally injurious conduct that is the basis of the application. Any application so filed which contains the information specified in subdivisions (1) through (6), subsection (a) of this section may not be excluded from consideration on the basis of incomplete information specified in subdivisions (7) through (10) of said subsection if such information is completed after reasonable assistance in the completion thereof is provided under procedures established by the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission.
(c) A person who knowingly and willfully presents or attempts to present a false or fraudulent application, or who knowingly and willfully participates, or assists in the preparation or presentation of a false or fraudulent application, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. A person convicted, in a court of competent jurisdiction, of a violation of this section shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both, in the discretion of such court. If the convicted person is a state officer or employee, he or she shall, in addition, forfeit his or her office or position of employment, as the case may be.
§14-2A-11. Procedure for filing of application.
The clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission shall establish a procedure for the filing, recording and processing of applications for an award of compensation.
§14-2A-13. Notice to claimant of claim investigator’s recommendation; evaluation of claim by commissioner.
(a) The clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission, upon receipt of the claim investigator’s finding of fact and recommendation, shall forward a copy of the finding of fact and recommendation to the claimant with a notice informing the claimant that any response, in the form of objections or comments directed to the finding of fact and recommendation, must be filed with the clerk within thirty days of the date of the notice. After the expiration of such thirty-day period, the clerk shall assign the claim to a commissioner.
(b) The commissioner to whom the claim is assigned shall review the finding of fact and recommendation and any response submitted by the claimant and, if deemed appropriate, may request the claim investigator to comment in writing on the claimant’s response. The commissioner shall, within forty-five days after assignment by the clerk, evaluate the claim without a hearing and either deny the claim or approve an award of compensation to the claimant.
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), section ten of this article, the commissioner may not approve an award of compensation to a claimant who did not file his or her application for an award of compensation within two years after the date of the occurrence of the criminally injurious conduct that caused the injury or death for which he or she is seeking an award of compensation.
(b) The commissioner may not approve an award of compensation if the criminally injurious conduct upon which the claim is based was not reported to a law-enforcement officer or agency or, in the case of sexual offense, the claimant did not undergo a forensic medical examination, within ninety-six hours after the occurrence of the conduct, unless it is determined that good cause existed for the failure to report the conduct or undergo a forensic medical examination within the 96-hour period: Provided, That no reporting to a law-enforcement officer or agency or a forensic medical examination is required if the claimant is a juvenile in order for a commissioner to approve an award of compensation.
(c) The commissioner may not approve an award of compensation to a claimant who is the offender or an accomplice of the offender who committed the criminally injurious conduct, nor to any claimant if the award would unjustly benefit the offender or his or her accomplice.
(d) A commissioner, upon a finding that the claimant or victim has not fully cooperated with appropriate law-enforcement agencies or the claim investigator, may deny a claim, reduce an award of compensation or reconsider a claim already approved.
(e) A commissioner may not approve an award of compensation if the injury occurred while the victim was confined in any state, county or regional jail, prison, private prison or correctional facility.
(f) After reaching a decision to approve an award of compensation, but prior to announcing the approval, the commissioner shall require the claimant to submit current information as to collateral sources on forms prescribed by the Clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission. The commissioner shall reduce an award of compensation or deny a claim for an award of compensation that is otherwise payable to a claimant to the extent that the economic loss upon which the claim is based is or will be recouped from other persons, including collateral sources, or if the reduction or denial is determined to be reasonable because of the contributory misconduct of the claimant or of a victim through whom he or she claims. If an award is reduced or a claim is denied because of the expected recoupment of all or part of the economic loss of the claimant from a collateral source, the amount of the award or the denial of the claim shall be conditioned upon the claimant’s economic loss being recouped by the collateral source: Provided, That if it is thereafter determined that the claimant will not receive all or part of the expected recoupment, the claim shall be reopened and an award shall be approved in an amount equal to the amount of expected recoupment that it is determined the claimant will not receive from the collateral source, subject to the limitation set forth in subsection (g) of this section.
(2) In the event the victim’s personal injuries are so severe as to leave the victim with a disability, as defined in Section 223 of the Social Security Act, as amended, as codified in 42 U. S. C. §423, the commission may award an additional amount, not to exceed $100,000, for special needs attributable to the injury.
(h) If an award of compensation of $5,000 or more is made to a minor, a guardian shall be appointed pursuant to the provisions of article ten, chapter forty-four of this code to manage the minor’s estate.
§14-2A-15. Hearings.
(a) If either the claim investigator or the claimant disagrees with the approval of an award or the denial of a claim in the summary manner set forth in the preceding sections of this article, the claim investigator or the claimant, or both, shall file with the clerk a request for hearing. Such request shall be filed within twenty-one days after notification by the commissioner of his or her decision.
(b) Upon receipt of a request for hearing, the clerk shall set a date and time for hearing, shall advise the Attorney General and the claimant of the receipt of the request and docketing of the claim, and shall request the Attorney General to commence negotiations with the claimant.
(c) During the period of negotiations and pending hearing, the Attorney General, shall, if possible, reach an agreement with the claimant regarding the facts upon which the claim is based so as to avoid the necessity for the introduction of evidence at the hearing. If the parties are unable to agree upon the facts, an attempt shall be made to stipulate the questions of fact in issue.
(d) The hearing held in accordance with this section shall be before a single commissioner to whom the claim has not been previously assigned. Hearings before a commissioner may, in the discretion of such hearing officer, be held at such locations throughout the state as will facilitate the appearance of the claimant and witnesses.
(e) The hearing shall be conducted so as to disclose all material facts and issues. The commissioner may examine or cross-examine witnesses. The commissioner may call witnesses or require evidence not produced by the parties; may stipulate the questions to be argued by the parties; and may continue the hearing until some subsequent time to permit a more complete presentation of the claim.
(f) After the close of the hearing the commissioner shall consider the claim and shall conclude his or her determination, if possible, within thirty days.
(g) The commission shall adopt and may from time to time amend rules of procedure to govern proceedings before the commission in accordance with the provisions of this article. The rules shall be designed to assure a simple, expeditious and inexpensive consideration of claims. The rules shall permit a claimant to appear in his or her own behalf or be represented by counsel and provide for interests of the state to be represented by the Attorney General in any hearing under this section at no additional cost to the fund or the state.
§14-2A-16. Evidence.
(a) There is no privilege, except the privilege arising from the attorney-client relationship, as to communications or records that are relevant to the physical, mental or emotional condition of the claimant or victim in a proceeding under this article in which that condition is an element.
(b) If the mental, physical or emotional condition of a victim or claimant is material to a claim for an award of compensation, the commission or a commissioner may order the victim or claimant to submit to a mental or physical examination by a physician or psychologist, and may order an autopsy of a deceased victim. The order may be made for good cause shown and upon notice to the person to be examined and to the claimant and the claim investigator. The order shall specify the time, place, manner, conditions and scope of the examination or autopsy and the person by whom it is to be made, and shall require the person who performs the examination or autopsy to file with the clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission a detailed written report of the examination or autopsy. The report shall set out the findings, including the results of all tests made, diagnosis, prognosis and other conclusions and reports of earlier examinations of the same conditions. On request of the person examined, the clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission shall furnish him or her a copy of the report. If the victim is deceased, the clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission, on request, shall furnish the claimant a copy of the report.
(c) The commission, or a commissioner thereof, may order law-enforcement officers employed by the State or any political subdivision thereof to provide it or the claim investigator with copies of any information or data gathered in the investigation of the criminally injurious conduct that is the basis of any claim to enable it to determine whether, and the extent to which, a claimant qualifies for an award of compensation.
(d) The commission or a commissioner thereof, may require the claimant to supplement the application for an award of compensation with any reasonably available medical or psychological reports relating to the injury for which the award of compensation is claimed.
(e) The commission or a commissioner thereof, or the claim investigator, in a claim arising out of a violation of article eight-b, chapter sixty-one of this code, shall not request the victim or the claimant to supply any evidence of specific instances of the victim’s activity, or reputation evidence of the victim’s sexual activity, unless it involves evidence of the victim’s past sexual activity with the offender, and then only to the extent that the judge, the commissioner or the claim investigator finds that the evidence is relevant to a fact at issue in the claim.
(f) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary relating to the confidentiality of juvenile records, the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission, or a commissioner thereof, or the claim investigator shall have access to the records of juvenile proceedings which bear upon an application for compensation under this article. The West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission, or a commissioner thereof, and the claim investigator, shall, to the extent possible, maintain the confidentiality of juvenile records.
§14-2A-17. Contempt sanction not available.
If a person refuses to comply with an order under this article, or asserts a privilege, except privileges arising from the attorney-client relationship, so as to withhold or suppress evidence relevant to a claim for an award of compensation, the commission or a commissioner thereof may make any just order, including denial of the claim, but shall not find the person in contempt. If necessary to carry out any of his or her powers and duties, the claim investigator may petition the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission for an appropriate order, including an order authorizing the investigator to take the depositions of witnesses by oral examination or written interrogatory, but the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission shall not find a person in contempt for refusal to submit to a mental or physical examination.
The commission or a commissioner thereof, may approve an award of compensation whether or not any person is convicted for committing the conduct that is the basis of the award. The filing of a criminal charge shall be a prerequisite for receipt of compensation unless it is determined that no charges were filed due to the identity of the perpetrator being unknown: Provided, That no criminal charges need be filed if: (1) The claimant is an adult at the time the conduct giving rise to the claim occurred and no criminal charges were filed for reasons other than the desire of the claimant and a law-enforcement agency confirms that the available evidence supports a finding that a crime occurred; or (2) the claimant was a juvenile at the time the conduct giving rise to the claim occurred. Proof of conviction of a person whose conduct gave rise to a claim is conclusive evidence that the crime was committed, unless an application for rehearing, an appeal of the conviction or certiorari is pending, or a rehearing or new trial has been ordered.
The commission or a commissioner thereof, shall suspend, upon a request of the claim investigator, the proceedings in any claim for an award of compensation pending disposition of a criminal prosecution that has been commenced or is imminent.
§14-2A-19. Attorney and witness fees.
(a) By separate order, the commission or a commissioner thereof, shall determine and award reasonable attorney’s fees, commensurate with services rendered and reimbursement for reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred shall be paid from the Crime Victims Compensation Fund to the attorney representing a claimant in a proceeding under this article at the same rates as set forth in section thirteen-a, article twenty-one, chapter twenty-nine of this code. Attorney’s fees and reimbursement may be denied upon a finding that the claim or appeal is frivolous. Awards of attorney’s fees and reimbursement shall be in addition to awards of compensation, and attorney’s fees and reimbursement may be awarded whether or not an award of compensation is approved. An attorney shall not contract for or receive any larger sum than the amount allowed under this section. In no event may a prosecuting attorney or assistant prosecuting attorney represent any victim seeking compensation under this article.
(b) Each witness called by the commission to appear in a hearing on a claim for an award of compensation shall receive compensation and expenses in an amount equal to that received by witnesses in civil cases as provided in section sixteen, article one, chapter fifty-nine of this code to be paid from the Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
§14-2A-19b. Rates and limitations for health care services.
The commission may establish by rule or order maximum rates and service limitations for reimbursement of health care services rendered by a physician, hospital, or other health care provider. An informational copy of the maximum rates and service limitations shall be filed with the Joint Committee on Government and Finance upon adoption by the commission. Any change in the maximum rates or service limitations shall be effective sixty days after the adoption of the changes. A provider who accepts payment from the commission for a service shall accept the commission’s rates as payment in full and may not accept any payment on account of the service from any other source if the total of payments accepted would exceed the maximum rate set by the commission for that service. A provider may not charge a claimant for any difference between the cost of a service provided to a claimant and the commission’s payment for that service. To ensure service limitations are uniform and appropriate to the levels of treatment required by the claimant, the commission may review all claims for these services as necessary to ensure their medical necessity.
(a) The Legislative Auditor shall submit to the Department of Administration, on or before November 20, of each year, an anticipated budget for the Crime Victims Compensation Program provided in this article for the next fiscal year, which shall include:
(1) An estimate of the balance and receipts anticipated in the Crime Victims Compensation Fund;
(2) Amounts anticipated to be sufficient for the payment of all administrative expenses necessary for the administration of this article; and
(3) Amounts anticipated to be sufficient for the payment of awards, attorney fees, witness fees and other authorized fees, costs or expenses that may arise under this article during the next fiscal year.
(b) The Governor shall include in his or her proposed budget bill and revenue estimates the amounts submitted by the Legislative Auditor under subsection (a) of this section.
(c) The clerk shall certify each authorized award and the amount of the award and make requisition upon the Crime Victims Compensation Fund to the Auditor. Notwithstanding any provision of chapter twelve of this code to the contrary, the Auditor shall issue a warrant to the Treasurer without further examination or review of the claim if there is a sufficient unexpended balance in the Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
(d) The commission may provide that payment be made to a claimant or to a third party for economic losses of the claimant and the order may provide an award for the payment for actual economic losses which are prospective as well as those which have already been incurred.
§14-2A-21. Annual report of West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission.
The West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission shall prepare and transmit annually to the Governor and the Legislature a report of the activities of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission under this article. The report shall include the number of claims filed, the number of awards made and the amount of each award, and a statistical summary of claims and awards made and denied; the balance in the Crime Victims Compensation Fund with a listing by source and amount of the moneys that have been deposited in the fund; the amount that has been withdrawn from the fund, including separate listings of the administrative costs incurred by the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission, compensation of commissioners and commission personnel, the amount awarded as attorneys’ fees.
§14-2A-22. State's subrogation to claimant's rights.
If an award of compensation is made under the provisions of this article and is not reduced on account of the availability of payment by a collateral source, the state, upon the payment of the award or a part of the award, shall be subrogated to all of the claimant's rights to receive or recover benefits or advantages for economic loss for which an award of compensation was made from such source if it were a collateral source or would be a collateral source if it were readily available to the victim or claimant. The claimant may sue the offender for any damages or injuries caused by the offender's criminally injurious conduct and not compensated for by an award of compensation. The claimant may join with the Attorney General as coplaintiff in any action against the offender. All moneys that are collected by the state pursuant to its rights of subrogation as provided in this section shall be deposited in the Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
§14-2A-23. Subrogation rights of collateral source.
Subrogation rights which a collateral source may have shall not extend to a recovery from a claimant of all or any part of an award made under this article. A collateral source may not apply, in the name of a claimant or otherwise, for an award of compensation based upon injury to a claimant to whose rights the collateral source may be subrogated.
§14-2A-24. Award not subject to execution or attachment; exceptions.
An award is not subject to execution, attachment, garnishment or other process, except that, upon receipt of an award by a claimant, the part of the award that is for allowable expense is not exempt from such action by a creditor to the extent that he provides products, services or accommodations the costs of which are included in the award and the part of the award that is for work loss shall not be exempt from such action to secure payment of alimony, maintenance or child support.
§14-2A-25. Publicity.
(a) The clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission shall prepare an information brochure for the benefit of the general public, outlining the rights of claimants and procedures to be followed under this article. Copies of such brochure shall be distributed to law-enforcement agencies in the state, and be made available to other interested persons.
(b) Any law-enforcement agency that investigates an offense committed in this state involving personal injury shall make reasonable efforts to provide information to the victim of the offense and his or her dependents concerning the availability of an award of compensation and advise such persons that an application for an award of compensation may be obtained from the clerk of the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission.
§14-2A-26. Rule-making.
(a) The West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission may promulgate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this article.
(b) The West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission shall promulgate rules and regulations to govern the award of compensation to the spouse of, person living in the same household with, parent, child, brother or sister of the offender or his or her accomplice in order to avoid an unjust benefit to or the unjust enrichment of the offender or his or her accomplice.
§14-2A-27. Application of article.
The provisions of this article shall not apply to any injury or death resulting from criminally injurious conduct which occurred on or before December 31, 1981.
§14-2A-28. Retroactive effect of amendments.
Amendments made to the provisions of this article during the regular session of the Legislature in the year 1984, shall be of retroactive effect to the extent that such amended provisions shall apply to all cases pending before the West Virginia Legislative Claims Commission on the effective date of the act of the Legislature which effects such amendment.
§14-2A-29. Retroactive effect of amendments.
Amendments made to the provisions of this article during the 1992 regular session of the Legislature are retroactive in effect to the extent that the amended provisions apply to all cases wherein the criminally injurious conduct occurred after December 31, 1991.
ARTICLE 2B. DISTRIBUTION OF CRIME PROFITS.
§14-2B-1. Short title.
This article shall be known and may be cited as the "West Virginia Crime Profits Act".
§14-2B-2. Legislative findings; purpose and intent.
§14-2B-3. Definitions.
(a) "Crime" means any offense designated by the provisions of this code as a felony or misdemeanor.
(b) "Crime profits" means:
(2) Any property obtained by or income generated from the sale, conversion or exchange of proceeds of a crime, including any gain realized by such sale, conversion or exchange; or
(c) "Crime victim" means the victim of the offense or the personal representative of a crime victim.
(d) "Defendant" means a person charged with a crime or convicted of a crime after trial, by entry of a plea of guilty or by entry of a plea of nolo contendere in any court in this state. The term "defendant" shall also include any person found by a court of record to be not criminally responsible for the commission of a crime by reason of mental illness, mental retardation or addiction.
(e) "Court" means the circuit court of the county wherein the defendant is charged with or was prosecuted for the commission of the crime.
(f) "Personal representative" means an attorney-in-fact or legal guardian of a living person or the executor, administrator, successor personal representative, special administrator and persons who perform substantially the same function under the law governing their status of the estate of a deceased person.
(g) "Prosecutor" means the prosecuting attorney of the county in which the defendant is charged with or was prosecuted for the commission of the crime.
(h) "Contract" means any agreement, whether reduced to writing or not, in which any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity contracts for, pays or agrees to pay, any crime profits to a defendant or to a defendant's personal representative.
§14-2B-4. Notice of contract with defendant; payment over of crime profits to prosecutor; placing of crime profits into escrow account.
(a) Every person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity which knowingly contracts for, pays or agrees to pay, any crime profits, as defined in section three of this article, to a defendant shall submit a copy of such contract to the prosecutor and pay over to the prosecutor any moneys which would otherwise, by the terms of such contract, be owing to the defendant. The prosecutor shall deposit such moneys in an interest bearing escrow account and shall thereafter disburse such moneys only in accordance with the provisions of this article.
§14-2B-5. Prosecutor to commence action to distribute profits from crime; joinder of parties; statute of limitations; issues to be determined in action.
(a) The prosecutor shall, within six months of the receipt of any contract or moneys, bring an action in interpleader in accordance with the West Virginia rules of civil procedure for trial courts of record to determine the distribution of any crime profits which have been received or may be received in the future by the defendant. The prosecutor shall join the defendant, any instrumentality of the state or political subdivision thereof which has expended or likely will expend taxpayer funds as a result of the commission of the crime, including, without limitation, funds to prosecute or incarcerate the defendant, all known crime victims, the crime victim's compensation fund and any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity which has paid, or agreed to pay, any crime profits to the defendant, as parties to the action.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code with respect to the timely bringing of an action, the prosecutor shall have the right to bring a civil action authorized by this section within three years after the prosecutor first receives notice pursuant to section four of this article. If, but for the provisions of this section, any party would be barred from bringing an action due to the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, said party may not recover damages against the defendant in excess of the value of the crime profits allotted to said party by the court in accordance with the provisions of this article.
(c) A crime victim, the defendant or any instrumentality of the state or political subdivision thereof which has expended or will likely expend taxpayer funds as the result of the commission of the crime may bring a writ of mandamus to compel the prosecutor to bring an interpleader action as authorized by this section. Any applicable statute of limitations shall be tolled during the pendency of such writ.
(d) Any party to the interpleader action may demand a trial by jury on the issues of entitlement to and the amount of damages arising from any claim of any instrumentality of the state or political subdivision thereof or of any crime victim, except that such claims that have already been reduced to judgment in any other civil action by a court of competent jurisdiction shall be conclusively presumed to have been established: Provided, That no jury trial shall be permitted on subrogation claims of the crime victim's compensation fund.
(e) The court may, upon motion of any party or upon its own motion, consolidate with the interpleader action any other pending civil actions by crime victims against the defendant when the basis for such other action is the same crime which has or may result in the generating of crime profits.
§14-2B-7. Prosecutor to distribute funds as ordered by court; court to order distribution of funds.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this article, the prosecutor shall distribute funds which are or may later be deposited in the escrow account only in accordance with this section.
(b) The court or jury before which the interpleader action authorized by this article is pending shall decide all claims, except such claims that have already been reduced to judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction which shall be conclusively presumed to have been established, to such crime profits as have already been or may later be due and owing to the defendant as a result of the contract and shall thereafter order the prosecutor to distribute such moneys as are in the escrow account, or as may be later paid to the defendant pursuant to the contract, in accordance with the provisions of this section. If no escrow account has been established at the time of the court's entry of judgment, the court shall provide in its final order for the distribution of any future crime profits and shall provide that any such funds be paid directly to such persons and in such proportions as the court may direct. If an escrow account is established, the court shall distribute the moneys in the escrow account and shall provide that any future funds, if any, be paid directly to such persons and in such proportions as the court may direct. If an escrow account is established and the court also finds that it is likely that future crime profits will accrue to the defendant, the court in its discretion may provide for the continuance of the escrow account and for such further hearings as may be necessary or may provide that any future funds be paid directly to such persons and in such proportions as the court may direct.
(c) Upon the dismissal of charges against the defendant or upon the acquittal of the defendant in circumstances other than a finding by a court of record that the defendant is not criminally responsible for the commission of a crime by reason of mental illness, mental retardation or addiction, the court shall order the prosecutor to immediately pay over to such defendant the moneys, including accrued interest, in the escrow account established on behalf of such defendant.
(d) Upon a showing by any defendant that three years have elapsed since the prosecutor first received notice pursuant to section four of this article and that no actions are pending against such defendant pursuant to this article, the court shall order the prosecutor to immediately pay over to such defendant or his legal representative the moneys, including accrued interest, in the escrow account.
(e) Upon a showing by the defendant that moneys in the escrow account shall be used for the exclusive purpose of retaining legal representation at any stage of the criminal proceedings against such defendant, including the appeals process, the court shall order the prosecutor to pay over such moneys as are reasonable and necessary to pay for such legal representation: Provided, That if the defendant at any time during such criminal proceedings has been represented by court-appointed counsel, the court shall first order that Public Defender Services be reimbursed for any funds expended on behalf of the defendant.
§14-2B-8. Priorities of claims to moneys in escrow account.
(a) The court, in ordering relief pursuant to this article, shall distribute the moneys in the escrow account and moneys which may later be payable under the contract, in the following priority:
(1) Payments authorized by the court for the exclusive purpose of retaining legal representation at any stage of the criminal proceedings against such defendant;
(2) Reasonable attorneys fees and expenses incurred by the prosecutor in bringing the interpleader action;
(3) Civil judgments of the victims of the crime, judgments awarded to any crime victim pursuant to the interpleader action authorized by this article and subrogation claims of the crime victim's compensation fund;
(4) Unpaid criminal fines owed to the state by the defendant as a result of the defendant's conviction for any crime;
(5) Expenses incurred by any other instrumentality of the state or political subdivision thereof as a result of the commission of the crime, including, without limitation, any county or regional jail or penitentiary in which the defendant was incarcerated: Provided, That for the purposes of this subdivision, the term "instrumentality of the state or political subdivision thereof" shall not include the crime victim's compensation fund; and
(6) The defendant.
(b) No payment shall be made out of the escrow account where such payment would be in derogation of claims, either presented or pending, entitled to a higher priority under this subdivision. If insufficient moneys exist to pay all claims entitled to equal priority, the court shall equitably allot such moneys as are available among the several claimants. Notwithstanding any provision in this article to the contrary, when the court considers other civil judgments rendered against the defendant for any crime victim for the purposes of equitably allotting moneys, the court shall review such judgment and shall consider for allotment only that portion of the civil judgment which relates to the crime which produced the crime profits.
(c) Moneys in the escrow account shall not be subject to execution, levy, attachment or lien except in accordance with the priority of claims established in this subdivision.
§14-2B-9. Acts to defeat intent of article void as against public policy.
Any action taken by any defendant, whether by way of execution of a power of attorney, creation of corporate entities or otherwise, to defeat the purpose of this article shall be null and void as against the public policy of this state.
§14-2B-10. Consent to jurisdiction.
A person who commits a crime in this state submits to the jurisdiction of the courts of this state for a proceeding brought under this article. A person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity which knowingly contracts for, pays or agrees to pay any profit to a defendant who commits a crime in this state submits to the jurisdiction of the courts of this state for a proceeding brought under this article. For purposes of this section, service of process may be perfected in accordance with the West Virginia rules of civil procedure for trial courts of record.
§14-2B-11. Failure of defendant or person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity contracting with defendant to provide notice to prosecutor or pay over moneys to prosecutor as required by this article; civil penalty of treble damages.
Notwithstanding any provision of this article to the contrary, if any defendant or any person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity which knowingly contracts for, pays, or agrees to pay to a defendant, any crime profits, as defined in section one of this article, fails to submit a copy of such contract to the prosecutor of the county in which the defendant is charged with or is being prosecuted or was prosecuted for the commission of the crime, or fails to pay over to the prosecutor any moneys which would otherwise, by the terms of such contract, be owing to the defendant, such defendant or such person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity shall be civilly liable in the interpleader action authorized by this article for treble damages to each party in whose favor judgment is entered.