(1) Police officers are hereby authorized to issue tickers under those circumstances that are provided by law or regulations.
(2) The forms for said tickets shall be drawn up, printed, individually numbered and distributed as established by the Secretary through regulations. It being understood that said tickets can be those already established for infractions of this chapter or its regulations.
The police officers shall date and sign the ticket, shall write the registry number and registration and the case number, which shall state the infraction that was allegedly committed and the amount of the fine to be paid.
(3) A copy of the ticket shall be handed to the owner or operator of the ship or vessel; besides, a copy thereof shall be sent by mail or may be affixed to the vessel if the circumstances allow it, in which case, a register shall be kept to such effects.
The copy that is handed to the owner or operator, or affixed to the ship or vessel, or remitted by mail shall contain instructions to request an appeal for review before the Secretary, which procedure shall be established through regulations. Provided, That the person shall have a term of thirty (30) days to request the reconsideration of the ticket.
The original and the copy of the ticket shall be sent immediately to the Secretary by the police officers through their headquarters or offices. The Secretary shall attach it to the registration file of the ship subject to the infraction, as the case may be.
(4) The payment of an administrative fine established through a ticket shall be made at any Internal Revenue Collector’s Office or at the Department, taken personally or through a duly authorized agent, in cash, or by check, money order, or any other means adopted by the Secretary of the Treasury and the ticket issued or a copy thereof or the notice of the establishing of the notation by the Secretary shall be shown.
If the ticket is paid and evidence thereof is presented, the Secretary shall proceed to cancel it, making the corresponding notation in the Registry.
(5) In those cases that a ticket is issued to a ship or vessel for an infraction of the provisions of this chapter or its regulations, and they are not or do not have to be registered or numbered in the Register of Numbers and Registration kept by the Department, the police officers shall remit the original and a copy of the ticket to the Secretary who shall keep a register of these fines.
(6) In these cases or in any other in which a ticket is issued for infractions of this chapter or its regulations, if an appeal for review is not requested before the Secretary as established by regulations and the fine is not paid within a term of thirty (30) days after the ticket is issued or notified, the Secretary may take the corresponding legal actions for the collection of said ticket in those cases that the ship or vessel is not registered in Puerto Rico.
History —Dec. 21, 2000, No. 430, § 11, renumbered as § 12 on Sept. 14, 2004, No. 283, § 5.