Opinion ID: 1926123
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Private Rights of Action for Civil Forfeitures

Text: [¶ 6] The plaintiffs contend that the motion court erred in holding that 26 M.R.S.A. § 626-A does not allow for a private right of action for employees to collect forfeitures against their employers. Section 626-A provides for a forfeiture of $100 to $500 for each violation to be enforced against a party when that party is in violation of sections 621, 622, 623, 626, 628, or 629. See 26 M.R.S.A. § 626-A. The statute, however, does not state to whom that forfeiture is payable. [¶ 7] Because section 626-A does not state that a private right of action exists, such a right of action can only be implied. In Larrabee v. Penobscot Frozen Foods, Inc., 486 A.2d 97 (Me.1984), we dealt with a similar issue of whether 26 M.R.S.A. § 630 [3] contains a private right of action to assert a civil forfeiture. See Larrabee, 486 A.2d at 101. We noted that when the Legislature deems it essential that a private party have a right of action, it has expressly created one. Id. For the purpose of the creation of a private right of action, the Legislature expresses its intent in the statutory language or in the legislative history. [¶ 8] In the present case, it is clear that sections 621 and 626-A were enacted for the benefit of wage earners and that these plaintiffs are wage earners. We examine whether there is any indication of legislative intent to create or deny a private remedy of forfeiture, and whether implying the existence of such a remedy is consistent with the underlying purpose of the legislative scheme. [¶ 9] In Larrabee, we concluded that section 630 created no private right of action to enforce a forfeiture. See Larrabee, 486 A.2d at 101. Section 626-A has language similar to that of section 630 and is part of the same legislative scheme. See 26 M.R.S.A. §§ 621-634 (1988 & Supp.1998). These provisions should be interpreted harmoniously. See Estate of Whittier, 681 A.2d at 2. [¶ 10] Moreover, title 17-A, section 4-B states that civil violations ... are enforceable by the Attorney General, his representative or any other appropriate public official in a civil action to recover what may be designated a fine, penalty or other sanction, or to secure the forfeiture that may be decreed by the law. 17-A M.R.S.A. § 4-B (Supp.1999). The civil forfeiture referenced in section 626-A is the type of civil violation that is solely enforceable by the Attorney General unless otherwise specified. Cf. Larrabee, 486 A.2d at 101. We discern no intention on the part of the Legislature, from either the plain language of the statute or the legislative history, that would provide for a private right of action under section 626-A to enforce the civil forfeiture. Moreover, our interpretation is in harmony with that of the Department of Labor, which has maintained that the pursuit of these penalties is its exclusive province. See Maine Bankers Ass'n v. Bureau of Banking, 684 A.2d at 1306 (holding that deference should be given to an agency's interpretation of a statute it is charged with enforcing). The Department may elect to pursue such remedies, but the decision to do so is a discretionary one. See New England Outdoor Ctr. v. Commissioner of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, 2000 ME 66, ¶ 12, 748 A.2d 1009, 1014.