§ 62-159.1. Debt collection practices. - North Carolina Statutes

§ 62‑159.1.  Debtcollection practices.

(a)        A public utility,electric membership corporation, and telephone membership corporation shall notdo any of the following in its debt collection practices:

(1)        Suspend ordisconnect service to a customer because of a past‑due and unpaid balancefor service incurred by another person who resides with the customer afterservice has been provided to the customer's household, unless one or more ofthe following apply:

a.         The customer and theperson were members of the same household at a different location when theunpaid balance for service was incurred.

b.         The person was amember of the customer's current household when the service was established,and the person had an unpaid balance for service at that time.

c.         The person is orbecomes responsible for the bill for the service to the customer.

(2)        Require that inorder to continue service, a customer must agree to be liable for thedelinquent account of any other person who will reside in the customer'shousehold after the customer receives the service, unless one or more of thefollowing apply:

a.         The customer and theperson were members of the same household at a different location when theunpaid balance for service was incurred.

b.         The person was amember of the customer's current household when the service was established,and the person had an unpaid balance for service at that time.

(b)        Notwithstanding theprovisions of subsection (a) of this section, if a customer misrepresents hisor her identity in a written or verbal agreement for service or receivesservice using another person's identity, the public utility, electricmembership corporation, and telephone membership corporation shall have thepower to collect a delinquent account using any remedy provided by law forcollecting and enforcing private debts from that customer.  (2009‑302, s. 1.)