If any person commits or allows to be committed any act, matter, or thing in this chapter declared to be unlawful, omits to do any act, matter, or thing in this chapter required to be done, or is guilty of any violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, that person must, when no specific penalty is herein provided for the violation, forfeit and pay to the person who may sustain damage thereby a sum equal to three times the amount of the damages so sustained, to be recovered by the person so damaged by suit in the circuit court of any county in this State in which the person causing the damage can be found or may have an agent, office, or place of business. But in the case of recovery, the damage shall not be assessed at a less sum than two hundred and fifty dollars. And the person so offending shall, for each offense, forfeit and pay a penalty of not less than one thousand dollars, to be recovered by the State by action in any such circuit court to be brought by the Office of Regulatory Staff upon the request of the Public Service Commission.