Attorney general enforcement

§ 604-ff. Attorney general enforcement. Whenever there shall be a violation of this article, an application may be made by the attorney general in the name of the people of the state of New York to a court or justice having jurisdiction to issue an injunction, and upon notice to the defendant of not less than fifteen days, to enjoin and restrain the continuance of such violations. If it shall appear to the satisfaction of the court or justice that the defendant has, in fact, violated this article, an injunction may be issued by such court or justice, enjoining or restraining any violation, without requiring proof that any person has, in fact, been injured or damaged thereby. In any such proceeding the court may make allowances to the attorney general as provided in section eighty-three hundred three of the civil practice law and rules, and may make direct restitution. In connection with any such proposed application, the attorney general is authorized to take proof and make a determination of the relevant facts and to issue subpoenas in accordance with the civil practice law and rules. Whenever the court shall determine that a violation of this article has occurred, unless the creditor has provided information that would otherwise show the violation was the result of bona fide error, the court may impose a civil penalty for each violation up to five thousand dollars.