66-1602. Civil actions for damages. A utility may bring a civil action for damages against any person who commits, authorizes, solicits, aids, abets or attempts any of the following acts:

(a) Diverts, or causes to be diverted, utility services by any means whatsoever.

(b) Makes, or causes to be made, any connection or reconnection with property owned or used by the utility to provide utility service without the authorization or consent of the utility.

(c) Prevents any utility meter, or other device used in determining the charge for utility services, from accurately performing its measuring function by tampering or by any other means.

(d) Tampers with any property owned or used by the utility to provide utility services.

(e) Uses or receives the direct benefit of all, or a portion, of the utility service with knowledge of, or reason to believe that, the diversion, tampering, or unauthorized connection existed at the time of the use, or that the use or receipt, was without the authorization or consent of the utility.

(f) Publishes the number or code of an existing, canceled, revoked or nonexistent telephone number, credit number or other credit device or method of numbering or coding which is employed in the issuance of telephone numbers, credit numbers or other credit devices under circumstances evincing an intent to have the telephone number, credit number, credit device or method of numbering or coding used to avoid the payment of a lawful charge for any telecommunication service, or knowing or having reason to believe that the same may be used to avoid the payment of any such charge.

(g) Obtains credit for or purchases any utility service by the use of any false, fictitious or counterfeit telephone number, credit number or other credit device, or by the use of any telephone number, credit number or other credit device without the authority of the person to whom the number or device was issued, or by the use of any telephone number, credit number or other credit device knowing that such number or device has been revoked.

(h) Avoids the lawful charges, in whole or in part, for any utility service, by the use of any fraudulent scheme, device, means or method.

History: L. 1982, ch. 273, § 2; July 1.