Court Opinion

ID: 9729181
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 14:28:51.472965+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:55.907313
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Senior Judge Kalish:
I must respectfully dissent.
On February 24, 1984, West Penn, by letter, requested that King post a security deposit by March 5, 1984, because she had no credit history. Enclosed within the letter requesting a security deposit was a notice that if the security deposit was not paid by a certain time, service would be terminated. When she showed West Penn a one-year lease to her present address, she was given electric service without paying a security deposit and was informed that there would be no termination of service.
King filed a complaint with the Commission, contending that it was wrong for West Penn to request a security deposit and simultaneously send a termination of service notice if the deposit is not paid by a certain time. She filed her complaint as an individual and not in the form of a class action. West Penn contends that when the matter reached the Commission and indeed this Court, it was moot.
The Commission found that under the circumstances involving West Penns withdrawal of the deposit request and termination notice, it would be unjust to impose a sanction upon the utility. In other words, as to this situation, there was no justiciable issue. However, it felt that since the termination notice was sent simultaneously with the request for a security deposit, this termination notice constituted a collection device contrary to the Commissions regulations.
The mootness doctrine requires that the exercise of judicial power depends upon the existence of a contro*31versy, a justiciable issue existing at all times of review. In making this determination, one of the most important factors to be considered is whether an issue is capable of repetition, yet escaping review. In Re Gross, 476 Pa. 203, 382 A.2d 116 (1978); DeFunis v. Odegaard, 416 U.S. 312, 40 L.Ed. 2d 164, 94 S.Ct. 1704 (1974).
A party’s cessation of conduct sought to be prohibited by administrative action does not render a case moot unless there is a showing, as to the complaining party, that there is no reasonable expectation of repetition of the wrong. DeFunis. As to this applicant, Goldie King, the Commission recognized that except for the termination notice, there would be no controversy. However, the termination notice was so inextricably bound to and conditioned on the security deposit request, that once that request was rescinded, the termination notice was of no effect, and there was no longer a justiciable issue at hand. The entire matter was moot.
Under the circumstances of this case, there was no reasonable expectation of a repetition. There was no conduct to enjoin. This was not a class action. The applicant was not suffering a continuing harm. Nor was this issue of such great importance that this court should reach the merits as in Wortex Mills, Inc. v. Textile Workers Union of America, 369 Pa. 359, 85 A.2d 851 (1952), where there was a question of interplay between constitutional law and labor law.
Accordingly, I would reverse the decision of the Commission.