Article 3. Report Of Damage From Pesticides of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 6. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 3.

Any person that alleges any loss, nonperformance, or damage as a result of the use or application of any pesticide, or of any substance, method, or device for pesticidal purposes; or for the purpose of preventing, destroying, repelling, mitigating, or correcting any disorder of plants; or for the purpose of inhibiting, regulating, stimulating, or otherwise altering plant growth by direct application to plants or soil shall, within 30 days from the time that the occurrence of such loss, nonperformance, or damage became known to such person, file with the commissioner of the county in which the loss, nonperformance, or damage, or some part of the loss, nonperformance, or damage, is alleged to have occurred, a verified report of the loss, nonperformance, or damage.

If a growing crop is alleged to have been damaged as a result of the activities which are described in Section 11761, the verified report of loss, nonperformance, or damage shall be filed prior to the time 50 percent of the crop is harvested, unless the loss, nonperformance, or damage is not known until after the crops are harvested.

The verified report of loss, nonperformance, or damage shall set forth, so far as known to the claimant, all of the following:
  (a) Name and address of the claimant.
  (b) Type, kind and location of property which is allegedly injured or damaged.
  (c) Date the alleged loss, nonperformance, or damage occurred.
  (d) Name of pest control operator that is allegedly responsible.
  (e) Name of the owner or occupant of the property for whom the person or pest control operator was rendering labor or services.

The filing of the verified report, or the failure to file it, need not be alleged in any complaint which may be filed. The failure to file the verified report of loss, nonperformance, or damage is not a bar to the maintenance of a civil action for the recovery of damages for the loss, nonperformance, or damage.

The failure to file a verified report of loss is evidence that no loss, nonperformance, or damage occurred.