Case Title: Beaupre v. Green Mtn. Power Corp.

Citation: 168 Vt. 596, 715 A.2d 1292

Docket Number: 

State: vermont

Court: Vermont Supreme Court

Date: 1998-07-27T00:00:00Z

Document:
Beaupre v. Green Mtn. Power Corp.  (97-435); 168 Vt. 596; 715 A.2d 1292

[Filed 27-Jul-1998]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 97-435

                               JUNE TERM, 1998

  Darlene Beaupre, et al.	        }	APPEALED FROM:
                                        }
                                        }
       v.	                        }	Public Service Board
                                        }	
  Green Mountain Power Corporation,	}
  Burlington Electric Department	}	DOCKET NO. 5898
  Central Vermont Public Service	}	
  Corp., et al.	}

       In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       Plaintiffs challenge certain jurisdictional rulings by the Public
  Service Board (PSB).  We consider the appeal premature, and thus decline to
  address the issues raised.

       When they brought this action, plaintiffs were all residential
  electric customers living in separate rented apartments.  Each complained
  of high utility bills arising from electricity being diverted to others in
  their apartment building after the electricity had passed through
  plaintiffs' meters.  To stop the ongoing diversion and to confirm its
  magnitude, plaintiffs brought this action before the PSB.  They requested
  the PSB to mandate defendant utilities to inspect the wiring on the
  customer's side of the meter, and to enjoin their respective landlords to
  permit such an inspection.  Contending that it had evidence of others
  similarly situated, plaintiffs also sought to have the case certified as a
  class action and to have the PSB adopt a rule requiring all regulated,
  metered electric utility services in Vermont to investigate all complaints
  of diversion and remedy the disputed bills.

       The PSB's hearing officer denied plaintiffs' request for an
  injunction, ruling that the Board lacked in personam jurisdiction over
  non-utility third parties.  Furthermore, the officer ruled that the Board
  lacked statutory authority to order electric utilities to inspect
  residential wiring "on the other side of the meter."  Finally, the officer
  found insufficient evidence to begin the rule-making process, and postponed
  its decision to commence a rule-making hearing until sufficient evidence
  indicates a need for such a hearing.  The officer certified these
  preliminary rulings for review by the Board.  It affirmed the officer's
  decision but reiterated the officer's assertion that the board maintained
  jurisdiction generally over billing disputes "arising between customers and
  their utilities."  Class certification is still pending before the PSB. 
  Plaintiffs appeal.

       This Court has long adhered to a policy of avoiding piecemeal appeals. 
  See In re Pyramid Co. of Burlington, 141 Vt. 294, 305,