Opinion ID: 1823350
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the circuit court was in error in granting motion for summary judgment of mississippi power & light company.

Text: Because MP & L's motion for summary judgment was granted, the Court's analysis of this claim is not restricted to the pleadings, as was the claim against Hinds County. All materials submitted in support and in opposition to the motion may be considered. One of the first questions to be considered comes from C.E. Tucker's complaint. It alleges that MP & L's actions were done by cooperation with or direction of governmental authorities and were therefore done under color of state law and violated the constitutional right of [Tucker] to due process and MP & L took his property and property rights without due process of law, all to his damage. Tucker does not mention due process again, either in later pleadings or in his brief, at least with respect to MP & L. Tucker in his brief lists eight alleged genuine issues of material fact which he claims preclude summary judgment in favor of MP & L. MP & L responds that issues 1-6 have only to do with actions or regulations of Hinds County. We agree. The alleged material issues of fact having to do with MP & L are whether MP & L had the right to disconnect Tucker's utility service, at a time when Tucker claims his account was current, and whether a hazardous condition actually existed at Tucker's residence which necessitated the termination of his utility service. Also, Tucker belately claims that MP & L never refunded his deposit. This is not developed in the record and is not considered here. Authority is vested in the Mississippi Public Service Commission to regulate public utilities such as MP & L. Miss. Code Ann. § 77-3-2 (Supp. 1989). The PSC shall also have power to prescribe, issue, amend and rescind such reasonable rules and regulations as may be reasonably necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of this article. Miss. Code Ann. § 77-3-45 (1972). Pursuant to this authority the PSC has promulgated Rules and Regulations Governing Public Utility Service. MP & L relies on the following rules as legal authority for its actions in shutting off C.E. Tucker's utility service: Rule 7. Refusal to Serve Customers A. Compliance by Customer. Any utility may decline to serve a customer or prospective customer until he has complied with all state and/or municipal regulations governing the service applied for and has also complied with the reasonable rules and regulations of the utility. C. Hazardous Equipment. The utility may refuse to serve a customer if, in its best judgment, the customer's installation or equipment is regarded as hazardous or of such character that satisfactory service cannot be given. This rule shall not be construed as imposing any duty upon a utility to determine the safety or suitability of a customer's installation or equipment for the use intended. F. Insufficient Grounds for Refusal to Serve. The following shall not constitute sufficient cause for refusal of service to a present or prospective customer: ... . (4) Violation of the utility's rules pertaining to operation of nonstandard equipment which interferes with service to others, or other services such as communication services, unless the customer has first been notified and been afforded reasonable opportunity to comply with said rules; provided, however, that where a dangerous condition exists on a customer's premises, service may be refused or discontinued without notice. Rule 8. Discontinuance of Service A. For Violation of Rules and Regulations. No utility shall discontinue service to any customer for violation of its rules and regulations nor for non-payment of bills without first having used due diligence to give the customer notice of such violation or delinquency and reasonable opportunity to comply with its rules and regulations or to pay his bills. In no case shall service be actually discontinued until after at least five (5) days' written notice shall have been given to the customer by the utility; provided, however, for fraudulent, careless, negligent, or unlawful use of the commodity or service, or where a dangerous condition is found to exist on the customer's premises, service may be discontinued without advance notice. Such notice may be given by the utility by mailing by U.S. Mail, postage prepaid, to the last known address of the customer. (emphasis added). MP & L also relies on its service policy. Tucker argues first that these rules cannot be followed blindly and that MP & L cannot shut off power just because it feels, in its best judgment, that a dangerous or hazardous condition existed. Tucker argues that whether such a condition existed at all is a genuine issue of material fact. (Affidavit of Thomas Long  Joint Stipulation) MP & L claims that the question is not whether such a condition actually existed, but whether MP & L, in its best judgment, determined such a condition existed. Also in controversy is the actual effect of the PSC rules under which MP & L acted. MP & L argues that these rules have the effect of law and there is authority that certain administrative rules have the force of law. Standard Oil Co. of California v. Johnson, 316 U.S. 481, 484, 62 S.Ct. 1168, 1169-70, 86 L.Ed. 1611 (1942) (War Department regulations); see also United States v. Mississippi Power & Light Co., 638 F.2d 899 (5th Cir.1981); Green v. United States, 460 F.2d 412 (5th Cir.1972). Several jurisdictions have dealt with the liability of a power company in a fact situation such as this. In Carroway v. Carolina Power & Light Co., 226 S.C. 237, 84 S.E.2d 728 (1954), Carolina Power shut off a consumer's utility service without notice. It was acting pursuant to its own Service Regulations, approved by the South Carolina Public Service Commission, which authorized suspension of electricity without notice in case of a condition on Customer's side of the point of delivery actually known by Company to be, or which Company reasonably anticipates may be dangerous to life or property. The South Carolina Supreme Court found that these rules and regulations had the force and effect of law and were binding on the plaintiff, regardless of whether or not he agreed to them. The Court further noted that if there had been a fire, after Carolina Power had been made aware of the dangerous condition, then it surely would have been liable for not having shut off the utility service according to its own rules. Carroway, 226 S.C. at 246, 84 S.E.2d at 732. A similar situation occurred in Windsor Hotel Co. v. Central Maine Power Co., 250 A.2d 194 (Me. 1969), where Central Maine Power shut off the electrical service of the Windsor Hotel pursuant to an order issued by the Belfast city electrician, after the electrician found electrical code violations at the Hotel. Summary judgment was granted in favor of Central Maine. Relying on the rules of the Maine Public Utilities Commission, and on the notice from the Belfast city electrician, the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine found that Central Maine was not negligent as a matter of law for following the directive of the electrician, saying that Central Maine would have continued to energize plaintiff's electrical system at its peril. Summary judgment was affirmed. Windsor Hotel, 250 A.2d at 198; see also Shaffer v. Georgia Power Co., 128 Ga. App. 84, 195 S.E.2d 758 (1973) (summary judgment affirmed in favor of power company which shut off electrical service based on its own rules and regulations, city ordinances, and potential liability for continuing service when dangerous condition was known). MP & L has the discretion to act as it did in this case. MP & L was acting pursuant to PSC rules and its own service policy when it shut off C.E. Tucker's power. It relied on a directive from W.W. Golson, a county official with ostensible power to direct enforcement of zoning ordinances, and its own serviceman, Joe McClendon, who reported a hazardous and dangerous condition at the Tucker residence. If Tucker was treated unfairly, or was denied due process, it was at the hands of Hinds County. MP & L had the right, as a matter of law (indeed it may have had the duty), to shut off Tucker's utility service. Accordingly, the circuit court is affirmed.