Civil penalty in cases alleging unfair practices.
Seattle Mun. Code § 14.08.185
in effect14.08.185 - Civil penalty in cases alleging unfair practices.
A. In cases either decided by the Director or brought by the City Attorney alleging unfair practices filed under this chapter, in addition to any other award of damages or grant of injunctive relief, a civil penalty may be assessed against the respondent to vindicate the public interest, which penalty shall be payable to the City of Seattle and the Department. Payment of the civil penalty may be required as a term of a conciliation agreement entered into under SMC 14.08.160(A), or may be ordered by the Hearing Examiner in a decision rendered under SMC 14.08.180 or by a court of competent jurisdiction in a proceeding filed under SMC 14.08.165.
B. The civil penalty assessed against a respondent shall not exceed the following amount:
1. Eleven Thousand Dollars ($11,000) if the respondent has not been determined to have committed any prior unfair practice;
2. Twenty seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($27,500) if the respondent has been determined to have committed one (1) other unfair practice during the five (5) year period ending on the date of the filing of this charge; or
3. Fifty five Thousand Dollars ($55,000) if the respondent has been determined to have committed two (2) or more unfair practices during the seven (7) year period ending on the date of the filing of this charge; except that if acts constituting the unfair practice that is the subject of the charge are committed by the same natural person who has been previously determined to have committed acts constituting an unfair practice, then the civil penalties set forth in subparagraphs 2 and 3 of subsection B of this section may be imposed without regard to the period of time within which those prior acts occurred.
(Ord. 121593 § 24, 2004; Ord. 116818, § 23, 1993.)
Source: City of Seattle, Seattle Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT14HURI_CH14.08UNHOPR_14.08.185CIPECAALUNPRFetched: 11/1/2026