Utility Services - Obligations Arising From Particular Transactions - Civil Law - CA

Section § 1882

This section defines key terms related to utility services like electricity, gas, and water. It clarifies who a 'customer' is, what it means to 'divert' utility services, and defines 'reconnection' as restarting a service after it was stopped legally. The term 'tamper' is used for interfering with the utility’s normal operation. It also explains what a 'utility' is, including public agency-operated systems, and what constitutes 'utility service.'

Unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions govern the construction of this title:

(a) “Customer” means the person in whose name a utility service is provided.

(b) “Divert” means to change the intended course or path of electricity, gas, or water without the authorization or consent of the utility.

(d) “Reconnection” means the commencement of utility service to a customer or other person after service has been lawfully discontinued by the utility.

(e) “Tamper” means to rearrange, injure, alter, interfere with, or otherwise to prevent from performing normal or customary function.

(f) “Utility” means any electrical, gas, or water corporation as those terms are defined in the Public Utilities Code and includes any electrical, gas, or water system operated by any public agency.

(g) “Utility service” means the provision of electricity, gas, water, or any other service or commodity furnished by the utility for compensation.

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Section § 1882.1

If someone meddles with utility services by stealing, tampering, or using them without permission, the utility company can sue them for damages. This includes rerouting services, making unauthorized connections, messing with meters, or using services knowing they were tampered with or stolen.

A utility may bring a civil action for damages against any person who commits, authorizes, solicits, aids, abets, or attempts any of the following acts:

(a) Diverts, or causes to be diverted, utility services by any means whatsoever.

(b) Makes, or causes to be made, any connection or reconnection with property owned or used by the utility to provide utility service without the authorization or consent of the utility.

(c) Prevents any utility meter, or other device used in determining the charge for utility services, from accurately performing its measuring function by tampering or by any other means.

(d) Tampers with any property owned or used by the utility to provide utility services.

(e) Uses or receives the direct benefit of all, or a portion, of the utility service with knowledge of, or reason to believe that, the diversion, tampering, or unauthorized connection existed at the time of the use, or that the use or receipt, was without the authorization or consent of the utility.

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Section § 1882.2

If a utility company sues someone under Section 1882.1, they can get three times the actual damages they suffered, plus the expenses of the lawsuit and reasonable attorney fees.

In any civil action brought pursuant to Section 1882.1, the utility may recover as damages three times the amount of actual damages, if any, plus the cost of the suit and reasonable attorney’s fees.

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Section § 1882.3

This law says it's assumed you've violated another rule if, on your property, there's any tool or gadget meant to steal utility services without fully paying. It also applies if a meter has been messed with or bypassed to measure utility services incorrectly or not at all. It's a presumption that can be challenged, meaning you can present evidence to prove otherwise.

There is a rebuttable presumption that there is a violation of Section 1882.1 if, on premises controlled by the customer or by the person using or receiving the direct benefit of utility service, there is either, or both, of the following:

(a) Any instrument, apparatus, or device primarily designed to be used to obtain utility service without paying the full lawful charge therefor.

(b) Any meter that has been altered, tampered with, or bypassed so as to cause no measurement or inaccurate measurement of utility services.

utility theft rebuttable presumption altered meter ...

Section § 1882.4

This law allows utility companies to go to court to stop someone from doing illegal activities that hurt the utility. They can also ask the court for money to cover any damage caused by those actions, all as part of the same legal case.

A utility may, in accordance with Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 525) of Title 7 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, bring an action to enjoin and restrain any of the acts specified in Section 1882.1.

The utility may, in the same action, seek damages for any of the acts specified in Section 1882.1.

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Section § 1882.5

This law says that a utility company can take legal action under a certain section even if they haven't lost any money or been threatened with financial loss.

It is not a necessary prerequisite to an action pursuant to Section 1882.4 that the utility have suffered, or be threatened with, monetary damages.

utility company monetary damages legal action ...

Section § 1882.6

If a utility company receives more money in damages than it actually lost, this extra money can be considered by the Public Utilities Commission or similar agencies when setting future utility rates.

Any damages recovered pursuant to this title in excess of the actual damages sustained by the utility may be taken into account by the Public Utilities Commission or other applicable ratemaking agency in establishing utility rates.

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