1. (a) Whenever the commissioner has reason to believe that any such person has been engaged or is engaging in violation of sections 38a-815 to 38a-819, inclusive, in any unfair method of competition or any unfair or deceptive act or practice defined in section 38a-816, and that a proceeding by the commissioner in respect thereto would be in the interest of the public, the commissioner shall issue and serve upon such person a statement of the charges in that respect and a notice of a hearing thereon to be held at a time and place fixed in the notice, which shall not be less than thirty days after the date of the service thereof. At the time and place fixed for such hearing, such person shall have an opportunity to be heard and to show cause why an order should not be made by the commissioner requiring such person to cease and desist from the acts, methods or practices so complained of. Upon good cause shown, the commissioner shall permit any person to intervene, appear and be heard at such hearing by counsel or in person. The commissioner, upon such hearing, may administer oaths, examine and cross-examine witnesses and receive oral and documentary evidence, and shall have the power to subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance and require the production of books, papers, records, correspondence or other documents that the commissioner deems relevant to the inquiry. If any person refuses to comply with any subpoena issued hereunder or to testify with respect to any matter concerning which the person may be lawfully interrogated, the superior court for the judicial district of New Britain or the superior court for the judicial district where such person resides may, on application of the commissioner, issue an order requiring such person to comply with such subpoena and to testify. Any failure to obey any such order of the court may be punished by the court as a contempt thereof. Statements of charges, notices, orders and other processes of the commissioner under sections 38a-815 to 38a-819, inclusive, may be served in the manner provided by law for service of process in civil actions.

2. (b) If, after such hearing, the commissioner determines that the person charged has engaged in an unfair method of competition or an unfair or deceptive act or practice, the commissioner shall reduce the findings to writing and shall issue and cause to be served upon the person charged with the violation a copy of such findings and an order requiring such person to cease and desist from engaging in such method of competition, act or practice and if the act or practice is a violation of section 38a-816, the commissioner may order any of the following:

   1. (1) Payment of a monetary penalty of not more than five thousand dollars for each act or violation but not to exceed an aggregate penalty of fifty thousand dollars unless the person knew or reasonably should have known that the person was in violation of sections 38a-815 and 38a-816, this subsection and subsection (e) of this section, in which case the penalty shall be not more than twenty-five thousand dollars for each act or violation but not to exceed an aggregate penalty of two hundred fifty thousand dollars in any six-month period; (2) suspension or revocation of the person's license if the person knew or reasonably should have known the person was in violation of said sections and subsections; or (3) restitution of any sums shown to have been obtained in violation of any of the provisions of said sections or any regulation implementing the provisions of said sections.
3. (c) Any person aggrieved by any such order of the commissioner may appeal therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183, except venue for such appeal shall be in the judicial district of New Britain.
4. (d) No order of the commissioner under sections 38a-815 to 38a-819, inclusive, shall relieve or absolve any person affected by such order from any liability under any other laws of this state.

5. (e) Any person who violates a cease and desist order of the commissioner made pursuant to this section and while such order is in effect shall, after notice and hearing and upon order of the commissioner, be subject to any of the following:

   1. (1) A monetary penalty of not more than fifty thousand dollars for each act or violation; or (2) suspension or revocation of such person's license.

(1955, S. 2818d, 2820d; 1971, P.A. 179, S. 25; 870, S. 125; P.A. 73-73, S. 3, 4; P.A. 76-436, S. 630, 681; P.A. 77-603, S. 27, 125; P.A. 78-280, S. 5, 60, 127; P.A. 81-38; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 99-215, S. 24, 29; P.A. 00-126, S. 1, 2; P.A. 08-178, S. 39.)

History: 1971 acts specified that appeal should be made within 15 days of order causing grievance and to return day between 12 and 30 days after service rather than to “next” or “next but one return day” and, effective September 1, 1971, replaced superior court with court of common pleas, except that courts with cases pending retain jurisdiction unless pending matters deemed transferable; P.A. 73-73 made previous provisions of Subsec. (b) applicable where person has engaged in unfair competition or unfair or deceptive practice and added new provisions applicable to violation of Sec. 38-61 where previously same provisions applied in both cases and replaced previous provisions of Subsec. (e) which had imposed $55 fine for violation of cease and desist order or $500 maximum fine for wilful violation with new penalty provisions; P.A. 76-436 added reference to judicial districts in Subsec. (a) and replaced court of common pleas with superior court in Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-603 replaced previous detailed appeal provisions of Subsec. (c) with provision requiring that appeals be in accordance with Sec. 4-183 but retained venue in Hartford county; P.A. 78-280 deleted reference to counties in Subsec. (a) and replaced “Hartford county” with “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” in Subsecs. (a) and (c); P.A. 81-38 made imposition of penalty in Subsec. (e) mandatory rather than optional, i.e. “at the discretion of the commissioner”; P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 90-98 changed effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; Sec. 38-62 transferred to Sec. 38a-817 in 1991; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 99-215 replaced “judicial district of Hartford” with “judicial district of New Britain” in Subsecs. (a) and (c), effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 00-126 amended Subsec. (b) to add Subdiv. (3) re restitution orders, substitute numeric Subdiv. designators for alphabetic subclause designators and to make technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality and amended Subsec. (e) to substitute numeric designators for alphabetic designators; P.A. 08-178 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a), (b) and (e), amended Subsec. (b)(1) by increasing maximum penalty from $1,000 to $5,000 per violation and maximum aggregate penalty from $10,000 to $50,000, and for violations of which the person knew or reasonably should have known, increasing maximum fine from $5,000 to $25,000 per violation and maximum aggregate penalty in any 6-month period from $50,000 to $250,000, and amended Subsec. (e)(1) by increasing maximum penalty from $10,000 to $50,000 per violation.