Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 1302 – Complaints
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1. Filing a complaint. When a written complaint is made against a public utility by 10 persons aggrieved that the rates, tolls, charges, schedules or joint rate or rates of a public utility are in any respect unreasonable or unjustly discriminatory; that a regulation, measurement, practice or act of a public utility is in any respect unreasonable, insufficient or unjustly discriminatory; or that a service is inadequate or cannot be obtained, the commission, being satisfied that the petitioners are responsible, shall, with or without notice, investigate the complaint.
[PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §6 (NEW).]
Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 1302
- Commission: means the Public Utilities Commission. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 102
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- in writing: include printing and other modes of making legible words. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
- Public utility: includes every gas utility, natural gas pipeline utility, transmission and distribution utility, telephone utility, water utility and ferry, as those terms are defined in this section, and each of those utilities is declared to be a public utility. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 35-A Sec. 102
2. Processing of complaint. The commission, immediately upon the filing of a complaint, shall notify in writing the public utility complained of that a complaint has been made and of the nature of the complaint. The utility shall file its response to the complaint within 10 days of the date the notice of complaint is issued. After receipt of the response, if the commission is satisfied that the utility has taken adequate steps to remove the cause of the complaint or that the complaint is without merit, the complaint may be dismissed. If the complaint is not dismissed, the commission shall promptly set a date for a public hearing. The commission may allow for all parties to attempt to resolve the complaint to their mutual satisfaction. If a mutually satisfactory resolution does not appear to be forthcoming, the hearing shall be held on the complaint pursuant to section 1304. The commission may not enter an order affecting the rates, tolls, charges, schedules, regulations, measurements, practices or acts complained of without an opportunity for public hearing. In the absence of an informal disposition pursuant to Title 5, section 9053, the commission shall render a decision upon the complaint no later than 9 months after its filing.
[PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §6 (NEW).]
3. Complaint by utility or commission. The commission may institute or any public utility may make complaint as to any matter affecting its own product, service or charges. The complaint shall be processed in accordance with subsection 2.
[PL 1987, c. 141, Pt. A, §6 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1987, c. 141, §A6 (NEW).