The civil penalties and allowances imposed by Supreme Court were the harshest permitted by the statute (Real Property Law § 233 [v]). By setting maximum amounts instead of fixed amounts, the Legislature clearly vested in the court not only the authority but also the obligation to exercise its discretion and, based upon the facts and circumstances of each case, including the nature of the conduct which prompted the proceeding, to select the appropriate penalties and allowances from the broad range created by the Legislature. In the absence of a statutory minimum, this broad discretion includes the power to impose no penalty at all for a violation if the facts and circumstances justify such a result (see, State of New York v Town of Wallkill, 170 AD2d 8, 11-12). It is our view that Supreme Court’s imposition of the harshest penalty *875without any explanation of the grounds for selecting those amounts instead of some lesser amount does not fulfill the obligation imposed by the statute and does not provide this court with any basis for the exercise of its power of appellate review.