Opinion ID: 1789131
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Heading Rank: 15

Heading: south central bell and its subscribers: contractual relationship governed by the approved tariffs.

Text: Telephone Companies are characterized as public service corporations or public utilities obligated to render their services and extend their facilities to all members of the public in a non-discriminatory manner. See 74 Am.Jur.2d, Telecommunications § 4, § 52 (1974) (discussing the nature and duties of telephone companies). Traditionally, telephone companies have made rules and regulations for conducting their business. Such regulations necessarily include rules concerning payment for services, prepaid deposits as a prerequisite to continued services, and regulations involving the termination of services where a subscriber fails to comply with company rules and regulations. Southwestern Telegraph & Telephone Co. v. Danaher, 238 U.S. 482, 489, 35 S.Ct. 886, 888, 59 L.Ed. 1419 (1915); Cosepelich v. Miss. Power Co., 164 Miss. 88, 144 So. 38 (1932) (citing Danaher ). Additionally, telephone companies retain exclusive control over the service they provide to the public. As such, they hold a superior position in their dealings with the public. In an effort to regulate and supervise the business activities of all public utilities, the Mississippi Legislature created the Mississippi Public Service Commission. See Miss.Code.Ann. § 77-3-5 (1972) (designating the scope and power of the Mississippi Public Service Commission). This agency acts on behalf of the public in regulating utilities. By statute, telephone companies still retain the right to make rules and regulations concerning the operation of their business. However, these rules, or tariffs, must be submitted and approved by the Public Service Commission before they are valid and binding on the subscribers. See Miss. Code Ann. § 77-3-33(2) (1972). The significance of these tariffs with regard to relationship between a subscriber and a telephone company has yet to be directly addressed by this Court. However, we hold today that once such tariffs are approved by the Public Service Commission, they are to be considered part of the service contract between the telephone company and the subscriber. We find support for this proposition in cases handed down by some of our sister states. See Angelo Pavone Enterp. v. So. Cent. Bell Tele., 459 So.2d 1223, 1225-1226 (La. App. 4th Cir.1984), (tariff to be viewed as a contract between telephone company and subscriber); State Farm Fir. & Cas. Co. v. Southern Bell Tel. & Tel. Co., 245 Ga. 5, 262 S.E.2d 895 (1979), (same); Price v. South Central Bell, 294 Ala. 144, 313 So.2d 184, 186 (1975), (tariffs constitute part of subscriber's contract). Additionally, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi was recently asked to determine the effect of regulations submitted by South Central Bell and approved by the Mississippi Public Service Commission. Burris v. South Central Bell Tel. Co., 540 F. Supp. 905 (S.D.Miss. 1982). In Burris, the court held that, by statute, once such regulations were approved by the Public Service Commission, they constituted the guidelines as to what Bell could or could not do in providing their services to the public and in conducting their business. Burris, 540 F. Supp. at 908. See also, Miss. Code Ann., §§ 77-3-1, 77-3-45 (1972) (statutes interpreted in Burris ). This interpretation is consistent with our existing statutory law and with our holding today. Accordingly, we find that the relationship between South Central Bell and its subscribers is essentially a contractual relationship. The terms of such a contract are supplied by the tariffs which have been duly filed and approved by the Mississippi Public Service Commission. From this, it logically follows that any claim alleging wrongful disconnection of telephone services must necessarily involve a breach of the subscriber's tariff or contract.