Water service: mobilehome parks.

Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to regulate public utilities, including water corporations. Under existing law, a mobilehome park that provides water service only to its tenants from water supplies and facilities that it owns, not otherwise dedicated to public service, is not a water corporation, but that mobilehome park is subject to the jurisdiction of the commission to the extent that, if a tenant complains about the water rates charged or service provided by the mobilehome park, the commission is authorized to determine whether the rates charged are just and reasonable and whether the service provided is adequate. Existing law authorizes the commission to afford rate relief or to order the mobilehome park to improve its water supply, facilities, and services on those terms that it finds just and reasonable, or both. Under this bill, if a complaint is filed with the commission by tenants of the mobilehome park that represent 10% or more of the park's water service connections during any 12-month period, claiming that the water rates charged by the park are not just and reasonable or that the service is inadequate, the commission would have jurisdiction to determine the merits of the complaint and the bill would require the commission to determine whether the rates charged are just and reasonable and whether the water service provided is adequate. The bill would require, for any complaint filed after December 31, 2012, if the commission finds, after investigation, that the mobilehome park is charging water rates that are unjust or unreasonable, that the commission order the mobilehome park to reimburse the complainants and any other current and former tenants affected by the rate, if no discrimination will result from the reimbursement. The bill would require a mobilehome park to provide written notice to each of the mobilehome park's tenants to inform those tenants of their right to, and how to, file a complaint with the commission about the water rates charged or the service provided by the mobilehome park using a standard notification prepared by the commission. Because a violation of an order or decision of the commission is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.