10009.1
. (a) If a public utility furnishes light, heat, water, or
power to residential occupants through a master meter in a multiunit
residential structure, mobilehome park, or permanent residential
structures in a labor camp, as defined in Section 17008 of the Health
and Safety Code, and the owner, manager, or operator of the
structure or park is listed by the public utility as the customer of
record, the public utility shall make every good faith effort to
inform the residential occupants, by means of a written notice posted
on the door of each residential unit at least 15 days prior to
termination, when the account is in arrears, that service will be
terminated on a date specified in the notice. If it is not reasonable
or practicable to post the notice on the door of each residential
unit, the public utility shall post two copies of the notice in each
accessible common area and at each point of access to the structure
or structures. The notice shall further inform the residential
occupants that they have the right to become utility customers, to
whom the service will then be billed, without being required to pay
the amount due on the delinquent account. The notice also shall
specify, in plain language, what the residential occupants are
required to do in order to prevent the termination of, or to
reestablish service; the estimated monthly cost of service; the
title, address, and telephone number of a representative of the
public utility who can assist the residential occupants in continuing
service; and the address and telephone number of a qualified legal
services project, as defined in Section 6213 of the Business and
Professions Code, which has been recommended by the local county bar
association. The notice shall be in English and the languages listed
in Section 1632 of the Civil Code.
(b) The public utility is not required to make service available
to the residential occupants unless each residential occupant or a
representative of the residential occupants agrees to the terms and
conditions of service, and meets the requirements of law and the
public utility's rules. However, if one or more of the residential
occupants or the representative of the residential occupants are
willing and able to assume responsibility for subsequent charges to
the account to the satisfaction of the public utility, or if there is
a physical means, legally available to the public utility, of
selectively terminating service to those residential occupants who
have not met the requirements of the public utility's rules or for
whom the representative of the residential occupants is not
responsible, the public utility shall make service available to the
residential occupants who have met those requirements or on whose
behalf those requirements have been met.
(c) If prior service for a period of time or other demonstration
of credit worthiness is a condition for establishing credit with the
public utility, residence and proof of prompt payment of rent or
other credit obligation during that period of time acceptable to the
public utility is a satisfactory equivalent.
(d) Any residential occupant who becomes a customer of the public
utility pursuant to this section whose periodic payments, such as
rental payments, include charges for residential light, heat, water,
or power, where these charges are not separately stated, may deduct
from the periodic payment each payment period all reasonable charges
paid to the public utility for those services during the preceding
payment period.
(e) If a public utility furnishes residential service subject to
subdivision (a), the public utility may not terminate that service in
any of the following situations:
(1) During the pendency of an investigation by the public utility
of a customer dispute or complaint.
(2) If the customer has been granted an extension of the period
for payment of a bill.
(3) For an indebtedness owed by the customer to any other public
agency or when the obligation represented by the delinquent account
or other indebtedness was incurred with any public agency other than
the public utility.
(4) If a delinquent account relates to another property owned,
managed, or operated by the customer.
(5) If a public health or building officer certifies that
termination would result in a significant threat to the health or
safety of the residential occupants or the public.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and in addition to
any other remedy provided by law, if the owner, manager, or
operator, by any act or omission, directs, permits, or fails to
prevent a termination of service while any residential unit is
occupied, the residential occupant or the representative of the
residential occupants may commence an action for the recovery of all
of the following:
(1) Reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the residential
occupant or the representative of the residential occupants related
to restoration of service.
(2) Actual damages related to the termination of service.
(3) Reasonable attorney's fees of the residential occupants, the
representative of the residential occupants, or each of them,
incurred in the enforcement of this section, including, but not
limited to, enforcement of a lien.
(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and in addition to
any other remedy provided by law, if the owner, manager, or
operator, by any act or omission, directs, permits, or fails to
prevent a termination of service while any residential unit receiving
that service is occupied, the corporation may commence an action for
the recovery of all of the following:
(1) Delinquent charges accruing prior to the expiration of the
notice prescribed by subdivision (a).
(2) Reasonable costs incurred by the corporation related to the
restoration of service.
(3) Reasonable attorney's fees of the corporation incurred in the
enforcement of this section or in the collection of delinquent
charges, including, but not limited to, enforcement of a lien.
If the court finds that the owner, manager, or operator has paid
the amount in arrears prior to termination, the court shall allow no
recovery of any charges, costs, damages, expenses, or fees under this
subdivision from the owner, manager, or operator.
An abstract of any money judgment entered pursuant to subdivision
(f) or (g) of this section shall be recorded pursuant to Section
697.310 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(h) No termination of service subject to this section may be
effected without compliance with this section, and any service
wrongfully terminated shall be restored without charge to the
residential occupants or customer for the restoration of the service.
In the event of a wrongful termination by the public utility, the
public utility shall, in addition, be liable to the residential
occupants or customer for actual damages resulting from the
termination and for the costs of enforcement of this section,
including, but not limited to, reasonable attorney's fees, if the
residential occupants or the representative of the residential
occupants make a good faith effort to have the service continued
without interruption.
(i) The public utility shall adopt rules and regulations necessary
to implement this section and shall liberally construe this section
to accomplish its purpose of ensuring that service to residential
occupants is not terminated due to nonpayment by the customer unless
the public utility has made every reasonable effort to continue
service to the residential occupants. The rules and regulations shall
include, but are not limited to, guidelines for assistance to actual
users in the enforcement of this section and requirements for the
notice prescribed by subdivision (a), including, but not limited to,
clear wording, large and boldface type, and comprehensive
instructions to ensure full notice to the actual user.
(j) Nothing in this section broadens or restricts any authority of
a local agency that existed prior to January 1, 1989, to adopt an
ordinance protecting a residential occupant from the involuntary
termination of residential public utility service.
(k) This section preempts any statute or ordinance permitting
punitive damages against any owner, manager, or operator on account
of an involuntary termination of residential public utility service
or permitting the recovery of costs associated with the formation,
maintenance, and termination of a tenants' association.
(l) For purposes of this section, "representative of the
residential occupants" does not include a tenants' association.