A. A person is subject to a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars if the person does either of the following:
- 1. Acts as a dealer or shipper without a valid license.
- 2. Knowingly falsifies or causes to be falsified information in a record intended to show proof of ownership.
B. A person is subject to a civil penalty of not more than three hundred dollars if the person does any of the following:
- 1. Makes a written or oral false, deceptive or misleading representation or assertion concerning the quality, size, maturity or condition of citrus fruit.
- 2. Alters, removes or destroys a warning notice from a lot or part of a lot to which it was affixed except on written authorization of an inspector, the associate director or the director or by court order.
- 3. Alters a notice of noncompliance, notice of compliance or notice of disposal that is issued by an inspector.
- 4. Refuses to submit any container or lot of citrus fruit governed pursuant to this article to an inspection of a representative sample or to refuse to stop and permit inspection of a representative sample of any commercial vehicle containing citrus fruit governed pursuant to this article.
C. A commission merchant is subject to a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars if the commission merchant does any of the following:
- 1. Knowingly makes a false or misleading statement as to the condition of any citrus fruit.
- 2. Makes a fraudulent charge or return for handling or selling citrus fruit or for rendering any service in connection with handling or selling citrus fruit.
- 3. Reconsigns a consignment to receive, collect or charge more than one commission without the consent of the consignor.
- 4. Sells citrus fruit at less than market price to a person with whom the consignment merchant has a direct or indirect financial connection.
- 5. Makes a sale and directly or indirectly receives a portion of the purchase price other than the commission specified in the contract.
- D. A person who is charged with violating this article or rules adopted pursuant to this article may request a hearing pursuant to title 41, chapter 6, article 10.
- E. Civil penalties collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the citrus, fruit and vegetable trust fund.