Section 707.5 Of Article 2.5. Special Provisions Re Utilities In Freeways From California Streets And Highways Code >> Division 1. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 2.5.
707.5
. (A) The department and any utility as defined in Section 700
of this code may enter into a contract providing for or apportioning
the obligations and costs to be borne by each party as to either or
both of the following subject matters:
(1) Any or all removals or relocations of any utility facilities
completed by the utility prior to the effective date of such contract
as required by notice given by the department wherever necessary to
accommodate any or all state freeways, where: (a) the obligations or
costs in respect thereto to be borne by each party is in dispute; and
(b) the claim of the utility is: (i) founded upon a removal or
relocation completed by the utility not longer than three years
immediately preceding the effective date of such contract; or (ii)
involved in an action pending in a court of competent jurisdiction if
such action was commenced within three years after completion by the
utility of the removal or relocation in question; and
(2) Any or all removals or relocations of any utility facilities
to be undertaken or completed by the utility after the effective date
of such contract as required by notice given by the department
wherever necessary to accommodate any or all state freeways.
(B) Those provisions of any such contract settling the claims of
the parties in respect to any or all removals or relocations of any
utility facilities completed by the utility prior to the effective
date of such contract, as authorized in subdivision (A) (1) of this
section, shall be irrevocable after the execution of such contract,
except as the same may be changed or modified by mutual consent of
the parties in writing; and either party may maintain an action in a
court of competent jurisdiction upon such provisions of said contract
at any time within two years after the effective date of such
contract, and the utility need file no claim with any state agency as
a condition precedent to the maintenance of any such action.
(C) Those provisions of any such contract dealing with any or all
removals or relocations of any utility facilities to be undertaken or
completed by the utility after the effective date of such contract,
as authorized in subdivision (A) (2) of this section, shall be under
and subject to the following limitations and requirements:
(1) While such provisions of said contract remain in effect, such
provisions shall govern exclusively the determination of the
obligations and costs to be borne by each party in regard to every
removal or relocation covered thereby undertaken or completed by the
utility after the effective date of such contract, whether notice in
respect thereto was given by the department to the utility before or
after the effective date of such contract, in lieu of the
determination thereof under the foregoing provisions of this article
as now or hereafter existing and any and all other laws which would
be applicable to said subject matter but for said contract, save to
the extent that any such laws may be referred to, retained, and made
applicable by, such provisions of said contracts; provided: (a) where
before the effective date of a contract entered into under this
section the parties executed an agreement in respect to the
obligations and costs to be borne by each party as to a particular
removal or relocation under a notice given by the department, the
provisions of such last mentioned agreement shall govern as to the
obligations and costs to be borne by each party in respect thereto;
and (b) where a particular notice given by the department before the
effective date of a contract entered into under this section
specifies a removal or relocation to be made at the expense of the
utility, the utility shall be and remain bound thereby unless the
utility advised the department in writing of its disagreement with
such determination within the time specified in any agreement then in
effect between the department and the utility in respect to the
procedure to be followed in such cases, or, if none, within a
reasonable time after receipt by the utility of said notice.
(2) Either party may maintain an action in a court of competent
jurisdiction for an adjudication as to the obligations and costs to
be borne by each party under such provisions of said contract at any
time within four years after the cause of action first arose
thereunder. Such a cause of action shall be deemed to arise upon and
at the time of the completion by the utility of the removal or
relocation in question. The filing of a claim with any state agency
shall not be deemed a condition precedent to the maintenance by the
utility of any such action.
(3) Such provisions of said contract shall terminate: (i)
automatically upon the repeal of this section or of subdivisions (A)
(2) and (C) hereof; and (ii) also, unless sooner so automatically
terminated, at such time or in such manner as may be provided in said
contract; and in the event of either such termination, the laws
applicable to the subject matter of such provisions of said contract
as existing at the time of such termination shall thereafter govern,
save as to removals or relocations theretofore required of the
utility by the department under notice mailed or delivered to the
utility prior to such termination, whether work upon such removal or
relocation has theretofore commenced, is in progress, or has been
completed.