Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, §§ 205-A–214 § 212
Penalties
Operative Text
A person upon whom a notice is served pursuant to section 211 shall comply with the terms thereof unless otherwise provided by the order of a court of this State. Any person who fails to appear, or with intent to avoid, evade or prevent compliance, in whole or in part, with any civil investigation under this section, removes from any place, conceals, withholds or destroys, mutilates, alters or by any other means falsifies any documentary material in the possession, custody or control of any person subject of any such notice, or knowingly conceals any relevant information, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 payable to the State to be recovered in a civil action. Whenever a person fails to comply with any notice served upon that person under section 211 , or whenever satisfactory copying or reproduction of any such material cannot be done and the person refuses to surrender the material, the Attorney General may file, in the Superior Court of the county in which the person resides or has that person's principal place of business or of Kennebec County, if the person is a nonresident or does not have a principal place of business in this State, and serve upon the person or in the same manner as provided in section 211 a petition for an order of the court for the enforcement of this section. Any disobedience of any final order entered under this section by any court must be punished as a contempt thereof.
Maine Revised Statutes Title 5, §§ 205-A & 212 establishes civil penalties for individuals who obstruct or evade a civil investigative demand issued under section 211. Specifically, anyone who fails to appear, conceals, destroys, alters, or falsifies documentary materials, or knowingly withholds relevant information, may face a civil penalty of up to $5,000 payable to the State. If a person refuses to comply with a notice or surrender materials, the Attorney General may seek a court enforcement order, and defying a final court order can result in a contempt finding.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners or managers who receive a civil investigative notice under Maine's 5 M.R.S. §§ 205-A & 212 are generally expected to preserve all requested documentary materials in their original condition and respond fully to the notice. Compliant operators typically retain records, make them available for copying or reproduction as directed, and appear as required rather than removing, concealing, or altering any documents. Failure to follow these steps can expose a property owner to civil penalties up to $5,000 and potential contempt of court proceedings initiated by the Attorney General.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants should be aware that 5 M.R.S. §§ 205-A & 212 is primarily directed at parties who receive civil investigative demands—often businesses or landlords under investigation—rather than at tenants themselves. If a tenant believes a landlord is concealing or destroying records relevant to a housing investigation, this provision provides a legal framework under which the Attorney General may compel document production and seek court enforcement. Tenants who believe relevant records are being withheld may wish to contact a tenant-rights organization or consult with a legal aid office to understand what reporting options may be available under this provision.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation