§ 7255. Accounting of Fines and Fees
TITLE 2: NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION 7: BUILDING AND ZONING CODES § 7255. Accounting of Fines and Fees. (a) Upon recordation of a fine with the Commonwealth Recorder, an unpaid fee or fine is a lien on the nonconforming property. The Zoning Board may enforce payment of the lien by foreclosure in accordance with the law governing foreclosure of mortgages. (b) All fines and fees collected pursuant to this chapter shall be expended for the operations of the Zoning Board, the administrative staff, and the several operations of the zoning program, including the purchase of nonconforming structures. All fines and fees collected pursuant to this chapter shall be deposited by the Director of the Department of Finance into a zoning board account, which shall be established separate and unique from the Commonwealth General Fund. The Zoning Board shall have expenditure authority over all funds deposited in said account. Funds deposited into said account shall be available for expenditure without fiscal year limitation; provided, however, prior to the obligation of any such funds the Director of the Department of Finance shall certify their availabil- ity for expenditure from said account. The Zoning Board shall report annually to the legislature on the amount of fines and fees collected and the cost of the zoning program. Source: PL 6-32, § 1 (§ 7255); amended by PL 8-10, § 10. Commission Comment: With respect to the references to the “Zoning Board” and the “Director of the Department of Finance,” see Executive Order 94-3 (effective August 23, 1994), reorganizing the executive branch, changing agency names and official titles, and effecting other changes, set forth in the Commission comment to 1 CMC § 2001; see also the comment to 2 CMC § 7223.
Source: CNMI Law Revision Commission