Delaware Code Title 16 Sec. 6605C – Penalties for noncompliance; enforcement
(a) The Justice of the Peace Court has jurisdiction over violations of this section.
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 16 Sec. 6605C
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- State: means the State of Delaware; and when applied to different parts of the United States, it includes the District of Columbia and the several territories and possessions of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
- Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
(b) It is unlawful for an owner or tenant of a lodging establishment required to have carbon monoxide detection devices under this chapter to fail to comply with this chapter. Violation of this subsection is punishable by a civil fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 for each offense.
(c) It is unlawful to tamper with, damage, destroy, or render inoperative any carbon monoxide detection devices required under this chapter. Violation of this subsection is punishable by a civil fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 for each offense.
(d) The State Fire Marshal may take the following actions under this chapter:
(1) Promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this chapter.
(2) Issue a summons, where necessary, to the owner, the tenant, and the occupant of such lodging establishment, for an appearance in the nearest Justice of the Peace Court when a fire department responds to an alarm of any type at a lodging establishment required to have carbon monoxide detection devices under this chapter and such establishment does not have carbon monoxide detection devices or has carbon monoxide detection devices that are inoperable, not in service, or not installed or maintained as required under this chapter.
(3) Investigate a complaint that a lodging establishment required to have carbon monoxide detection devices under this chapter does not have carbon monoxide detection devices or has carbon monoxide detection devices that are inoperable, not in service, or not installed or maintained as required under this chapter.
(e) Each fine collected under this section must be remitted to the State Fire Marshal’s Office in accordance with § 6612 of this title, which provisions must be complied with in implementing the requirements of this chapter, except that the fines are collected within the jurisdictions of the cities of Wilmington, Newark, Dover, or New Castle must be remitted to the appropriate political subdivision. All receipts must be used to subsidize the costs of providing a greater public awareness of the ramifications of not having carbon monoxide detectors.
(f) The State Fire Marshal’s Office shall be the statewide manager and agency for all public awareness programs generated by the proceeds of the fines collected under this section.
(g) In addition to other remedies provided by this section, the State Fire Marshal or the Attorney General may, in addition to other remedies provided by this section, institute injunction, mandamus, abatement, or any other appropriate action or proceeding to prevent any continued violations of this chapter.