Pub. L. 83-560, tit. I, sec. 132

Sec. 132. Title V of the National Housing Act, as amended, is hereby amended by adding the following new sections after section 511: “Sec. 512. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Commissioner is authorized to refuse the benefits of participation (either directly as an insured lender or as a borrower, or indirectly as a builder, contractor, or dealer, or salesman or sales agent for a builder, contractor or dealer) under title I, II, VI, VII, VIII, or IX of this Act to any person or firm (including but not limited to any individual, partnership, association, trust, or corporation) if the Commissioner has determined that such person or firm (1) has knowingly or willfully violated any provision of this Act or of title III of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, as amended, or of any regulation issued by the Commissioner under this Act or by the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs under said title III, or (2) has, in connection with any construction, alteration, repair or improvement work financed with assistance under this Act or under said title III, or in connection with contracts or financing relating to such work, violated any Federal or State penal statute, or (3) has failed materially to properly carry out contractual obligations with respect to the completion of construction, alteration, repair, or improvement work financed with assistance under this Act or under title III of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, as amended. Before any such determination is made any person or firm with respect to whom such a determination is proposed shall be notified in writing by the Commissioner and shall be entitled, upon making a written request to the Commissioner, to a written notice specifying charges in reasonable detail and an opportunity to be heard and to be represented by counsel. Determinations made by the Commissioner under this section shall be based on the preponderance of the evidence. “Sec. 513. (a) The Congress hereby declares that it has been its intent since the enactment of the National Housing Act that housing built with the aid of mortgages insured under that Act is to be used principally for residential use; and that this intent excludes the use of such housing for transient or hotel purposes while such insurance on the mortgage remains outstanding. “(b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, no new, existing, or rehabilitated multifamily housing with respect to which a mortgage is insured under this Act shall be operated for transient or hotel purposes unless (1) on or before May 28, 1954, the Commissioner has agreed in writing to the rental of all or a portion of the accommodations in the project for transient or hotel purposes (in which case no accommodations in excess of the number so agreed to by the Commissioner shall be rented on such basis), or (2) the project covered by the insured mortgage is located in an area which the Commissioner determines to be a resort area, and the Commissioner finds that prior to May 28, 1954, a portion of the accommodations in the project had been made 68 Stat. 611 available for rent for transient or hotel purposes (in which case no accommodations in excess of the number which had been made available for such use shall be rented on such basis). “(c) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, no mortgage with respect to multifamily housing shall be insured under this Act (except pursuant to a commitment to insure issued prior to the effective date of the Housing Act of 1954), and (except as to housing coming within the provisions of clause (1) or clause (2) of the preceding subsection) no mortgage with respect to multifamily housing shall be insured for an additional term, unless (1) the mortgagor certifies under oath that while such insurance remains outstanding he will not rent, or permit the rental of, such housing or any part thereof for transient or hotel purposes, and (2) the Commissioner has entered into such contract with, or purchased such stock of, the mortgagor as the Commissioner deems necessary to enable him to prevent or terminate any use of such property or project for transient or hotel purposes while the mortgage insurance remains outstanding. “(d) The Commissioner is hereby authorized and directed to enforce the provisions of this section by all appropriate means at his disposal, as to all existing multifamily housing with respect to which a mortgage was insured under this Act prior to the effective date of the Housing Act of 1954 as well as to all multifamily housing with respect to which a mortgage is hereafter insured under this Act: Provided, That no criminal penalty shall, by reason of enactment of this section, be applicable to the rental or operation of any such existing multifamily housing in violation of any provision of subsection (b) of this section at any time prior to the effective date of the Housing Act of 1954. “(e) As used in this section, (1) the term ‘rental for transient or hotel purposes’ shall have such meaning as prescribed by the Commissioner but rental for any period less than thirty days shall in any event constitute rental for such purposes, and (2) the term ‘multifamily housing’ shall mean (i) a property held by a mortgagor upon which there are located five or more single family dwellings, or upon which there is located a two-, three-, or four-family dwelling, or (ii) a property or project covered by mortgage insured or to be insured under section 207, under section 213 with respect to any property or project of a corporation or trust of the character described in paragraph numbered (1) of subsection (a) thereof, under section 220 if the mortgage is within the provisions of paragraph (3) (B) of subsection (a) thereof, under section 221 if the mortgage is within the provisions of paragraph (3) of subsection (d) thereof, under section 608, under section 803, or under section 908, or (iii) a project with respect to which an insurance contract pursuant to title VII is outstanding. “(f) Promptly after receipt of written notice that any portion of any building is being rented or operated in violation of any provision of this section or of any rule or regulation lawfully issued thereunder, the Commissioner shall investigate the existence of the facts alleged in the written notice and shall order such violation, if found to exist, to cease forthwith. “(g) If such violation does not cease in accordance with such order, the Commissioner shall forward the complaint to the Attorney General of the United States for prosecution of such civil or criminal action, if any, which the Attorney General may find to be involved in such violation. “(h) Whenever he finds a violation of any provision of this section has occurred or is about to occur, the Attorney General shall petition the district court of the United States or the district court of any Territory or other place subject to United States jurisdiction within whose jurisdictional limits the person doing or committing the acts 68 Stat. 612 or practices constituting the alleged violation of this section shall be found, for an order enjoining such acts or practices, and upon a showing by the Attorney General that such acts or practices constituting such violation have been engaged in or are about to be engaged in a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order, with or without such injunction or restraining order, shall be granted without bond. “(i) Any person owning or operating a hotel within a radius of fifty miles of a place where a violation of any provision of this section has occurred or is about to occur, or any group or association of hotel owners or operators within said fifty-mile radius, at his or their sole charge or cost, may petition any district court of the United States or the district court of any Territory or other place subject to United States jurisdiction within whose jurisdictional limits the person doing or committing the acts or practices constituting the alleged violation of this section shall be found, for an order enjoining such acts or practices, and, upon a showing that such acts or practices constituting such violation have been engaged in or are about to be engaged in, a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order, with or without such injunction or restraining order, shall be granted. “(j) The several district courts of the United States and the several district courts of the Territories of the United States or other place subject to United States jurisdiction, within whose jurisdictional limits the person doing or committing the acts or practices constituting the alleged violation shall be found, shall, wheresoever such acts or practices may have been done or committed, have full power and jurisdiction to hear, try, and determine such matter under subsections (h) and (i) of this section.”