Any person found guilty of violating, disobeying, neglecting, or refusing to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter except when otherwise specifically provided upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $200 for the first offense and not less than $300 nor more than $750 for the second and each subsequent offense in any 180-day period; provided, however, that all actions seeking the imposition of fines only shall be filed as quasi-criminal actions subject to the provisions of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, 735 ILCS 5/1-101 et seq. A person who commits repeated offenses in excess of 3 within any 180-day period may also be punished as committing a misdemeanor by incarceration in the County Jail for a term not to exceed 6 months under the procedures set forth in Illinois Municipal Code, § 12-1.1 (65 ILCS 5/1-2-1.1) and under the provisions of the Illinois Code of Criminal Procedure, 725 ILCS 5/100-1 et seq. in separate proceedings. A separate and distinct offense shall be regarded as committed each day upon which said person shall continue any such violation, or permit any such violation to exist, after notification thereof.
(1997 Code, § 51.13)