777.1
. (a) If an electrical, gas, heat, or water corporation
furnishes residential service to residential occupants through a
master meter in a multiunit residential structure, mobilehome park,
or permanent residential structure 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 corporation as
the customer of record, the corporation 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 corporation 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 customers,
to whom the service will then be billed, without being required to
pay any amount which may be 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
corporation 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 corporation 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
corporation's rules and tariffs. 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
corporation, or if there is a physical means, legally available to
the corporation, of selectively terminating service to those
residential occupants who have not met the requirements of the
corporation's rules and tariffs or for whom the representative of the
residential occupants is not responsible, the corporation shall make
service available to those 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
corporation, residence and proof of prompt payment of rent or other
credit obligation during that period of time acceptable to the
corporation is a satisfactory equivalent.
(d) Any residential occupant who becomes a customer of the
corporation pursuant to this section whose periodic payments, such as
rental payments, include charges for residential electrical, gas,
heat, or water service, where those charges are not separately
stated, may deduct from the periodic payment each payment period all
reasonable charges paid to the corporation for those services during
the preceding payment period.
(e) If a corporation furnishes residential service subject to
subdivision (a), the corporation shall not terminate that service in
any of the following situations:
(1) During the pendency of an investigation by the corporation 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 person
or corporation or if the obligation represented by the delinquent
account or other indebtedness was incurred with a person or
corporation other than the electrical, gas, heat, or water
corporation demanding payment therefor.
(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 receiving
that service 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 corporation, the
corporation 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 made a good faith effort to have the service continued
without interruption.
(i) The commission shall adopt rules and orders 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 corporation has made every reasonable effort to continue service
to the residential occupants. The rules and orders shall include, but
are not limited to, reasonable penalties for a violation of this
section, guidelines for assistance to residents 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 resident.
(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.