Opinion ID: 1677203
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Analysis of the Actual Purposes or Effects of the Monetary Sanctions

Text: Presuming that the sanctions imposed by the Code of Laws are remedial in their intended purpose, our next inquiry is whether these penalties are also remedial in their actual purpose and effect. Initially, we acknowledge that the statutory provisions of Title 16, separate and apart from any individual sanctions, are intended to be remedial in their purpose and effect. Section 16.04.01 unequivocally states that its purposes are to secure . . . public safety, health and general welfare, through structural strength, stability, sanitation, adequate light and ventilation and safety to life and property from fire and other hazards incident to the construction, alteration, repair, removal, demolition, [and the] use and occupancy of buildings, structures or premises. However, the mere fact that the intended purpose of the statute itself is remedial is not also determinative of whether the actual purpose and effect of the statute's penalties are likewise remedial in nature. Whatever effect the February 1999 resolution had upon the intended purpose of these monetary sanctions, the resolution did not affect the actual purpose or effect of these sanctions, because it was addressed only to the labels of the sanctions within the statutory scheme as a whole. Because Article VI, section 14 is not concerned with the appellation given a penalty, this resolution is of no consequence to the actual purpose and effect of the fines imposed in this case. Therefore, to determine the actual purpose and effect of the fines in this case, we must first examine how monetary penalties can serve remedial goals in general and then determine whether the penalties imposed here truly served a remedial role within the context of their statutory scheme. Various courts have attempted to describe the attributes typically associated with civil, remedial measures. Some courts have recognized that remedial measures are typically corrective and equitable in kind. See Dyna-Med, Inc. v. Fair Employment & Hous. Comm'n, 43 Cal.3d 1379, 241 Cal.Rptr. 67, 743 P.2d 1323, 1327 (1987) (citation omitted). They are designed primarily `to rectify,' [or] to `put right,' Langford v. Couch, 50 F.Supp.2d 544, 547 (E.D.Va.1999) (citation omitted), and they may consist of [any]thing that corrects, counteracts, or removes an evil or wrong. State v. Zerkel, 900 P.2d 744, 748 (Alaska Ct.App.1995) (citation omitted); Cabinet Realty, Inc. v. Planning & Zoning Comm'n, 17 Conn.App. 344, 552 A.2d 1218, 1221 (1989). Quite simply, therefore, remedial measures are any means by which a right is enforced or the violation of a right is prevented, redressed, or compensated.' Overman v. Southwestern Bell Tel. Co., 675 S.W.2d 419, 423 (Mo.Ct.App.1984) (citation omitted). Using these definitions as our guide, it is immediately apparent that many sanctions in Title 16 are corrective in nature and therefore serve remedial purposes. Some of these remedial sanctions include the issuance of a stop-work order, Code of Laws § 16.04.110, the revocation of any permit or approval, id. § 16.04.120, and the ability of the director of codes administration to require proof of compliance with the Code at the expense of the owner or agent, id. § 16.04.140. In each of these cases, the sanction seeks to correct or to halt the then-existing violation of the Code. However, a monetary penalty often stands in sharp contrast to other remedial measures, because a monetary penalty can serve but a few truly remedial purposes. Some examples of truly remedial purposes served by monetary penalties include those that (1) compensate for loss; (2) reimburse for expenses; (3) disgorge ill-gotten gains; (4) provide restitution for harm; and (5) ensure compliance with an order or directive, either through the execution of a bond, or as discussed below, through a prospectively coercive fine. Importantly, however, to the extent that a monetary penalty is not designed to serve these or similar goals, it will appear more likely to predominantly serve the purpose of general and specific deterrence. Although we agree that some level of deterrence is present in all remedial measures, when the predominant purposes served by the penalty are to provide general and specific deterrence and to ensure overall future compliance with the law, then the monetary penalty should be deemed as serving punitive purposes for analysis under Article VI, section 14. [22]