Effective - 28 Aug 1967
393.260. Complaints as to quality and price of gas, water, electricity and sewer service — investigation by commission — form of complaints. — 1. Upon the complaint in writing of the mayor or the president or chairman of the board of aldermen, or a majority of the council, commission or other legislative body of any city, town, village or county within which the alleged violation occurred, or by not less than twenty-five consumers or purchasers, or prospective consumers or purchasers of such gas, electricity, water or sewer, as to the illuminating power, purity, pressure or price of gas, the efficiency of the electric incandescent lamp supply, the voltage of the current supplied for light, heat or power, or price of electricity sold and delivered in such municipality, or the purity, pressure or price of water or the adequacy, sanitation or price of sewer service, the commission shall investigate as to the cause of such complaint.
2. When such complaint is made, the commission may, by its agents, examiners and inspectors, inspect the works, system, plant, devices, appliances and methods used by such person or corporation in manufacturing, transmitting and supplying such gas, electricity or water or furnishing said sewer service, and may examine or cause to be examined the books and papers of such person or corporation pertaining to the manufacture, sale, transmitting and supplying of such gas, electricity or water or furnishing of such sewer service.
3. The form and contents of complaints made as provided in this section shall be prescribed by the commission. Such complaints shall be signed by the officers, or by the customers, purchasers or subscribers making them, who must add to their signatures their places of residence, by street and number, if any.
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(RSMo 1939 § 5658, A.L. 1967 p. 578)
Prior revisions: 1929 § 5202; 1919 § 10490
(1964) A telephone utility could not annex additional territory to its certificated service area by the simple act of filing a map of the area and order of public service commission requiring another telephone company whose existing lines were closer to the unserved area to extend service into the area was based on competent and substantial evidence and was not in excess of its statutory power. State ex rel. Doniphan Telephone Co. v. Public Serv. Comm'n (A.), 377 S.W.2d 469.
(1976) File and suspend method of seeking rate increase by utility did not result in denial of due process of law or equal protection to utility consumers. State ex rel. Jackson County v. Public Serv. Comm'n (Mo.), 532 S.W.2d 20.
(1976) Sections 386.390 and 393.260 specifically enumerate the parties qualified to file a complaint as to the reasonableness of a utility's rates and charges, and utilities are not among them, and section 386.400 gives utilities the right to file complaints only on matters other than as to reasonableness of their rates. State ex rel. Jackson County v. Public Serv. Comm'n (Mo.), 532 S.W.2d 20.
Structure Missouri Revised Statutes
Title XXV - Incorporation and Regulation of Certain Utilities and Carriers
Chapter 393 - Gas, Electric, Water, Heating and Sewer Companies
Section 393.010 - Corporations supplying gas, electricity or water — powers.
Section 393.020 - Authorizing laying of underground water mains — power of eminent domain.
Section 393.050 - Court shall appoint three commissioners to assess damages — payment of damages.
Section 393.060 - Number of owners may be joined in one petition.
Section 393.070 - Clerk of court shall give notice of petitions.
Section 393.080 - Cost of proceeding — how paid.
Section 393.090 - Corporation not authorized to enter or appropriate certain buildings.
Section 393.100 - Concerning the appropriation of property held by another corporation.
Section 393.108 - Hot weather rule, discontinuance of service prohibited, when.
Section 393.120 - Definition of terms.
Section 393.135 - Charges based on nonoperational property of electrical corporation prohibited.
Section 393.136 - Retroactive operation prohibited.
Section 393.147 - Loan programs, certain sewer and water corporations — authorized when, how.
Section 393.150 - Commission may fix rates after hearing — stay increase — burden of proof.
Section 393.160 - Inspection of gas, water and electric meters.
Section 393.170 - Approval of incorporation and franchises — certificate.
Section 393.180 - Right to issue stocks, bonds, notes subject to regulation.
Section 393.200 - Approval of issues of stocks, bonds and other forms of indebtedness.
Section 393.210 - Certificate of commission to be recorded — stock dividend prohibited.
Section 393.250 - Reorganizations of gas, electrical, water and sewer corporations.
Section 393.280 - Defense in case of excessive charges for gas, water, electricity or sewer service.
Section 393.291 - Steam heating companies, may file under small company rate procedures, when.
Section 393.292 - Nuclear power plant decommissioning, expense of, rate increase allowed, when, how.
Section 393.297 - Purpose of sections 393.298 to 393.302.
Section 393.298 - Definitions.
Section 393.300 - Customer bills in Braille or bold-faced type on request.
Section 393.302 - Tax on energy consumption, ordinance imposing tax, ballot measure required.
Section 393.356 - No modification or elimination of special rate under section 393.355.
Section 393.410 - Definitions.
Section 393.420 - Acquisition of right to use storage reservoir under publicly owned lands.
Section 393.430 - Gas storage company may exercise eminent domain — purposes — procedure.
Section 393.440 - Powers not to be exercised until approved by public service commission.
Section 393.450 - Buildings not to be condemned.
Section 393.460 - Strata and formations not subject to condemnation.
Section 393.470 - Limitation on condemnation of property held for public uses.
Section 393.480 - Law not to restrict other powers of eminent domain.
Section 393.490 - Rights of owner of land in condemned strata.
Section 393.500 - Gas in underground storage personal property.
Section 393.510 - Limitations to begin, when — cause deemed to accrue, when.
Section 393.550 - Definitions.
Section 393.553 - Written demand, notice, contents, refusal of access deemed denial of access, when.
Section 393.557 - Final order of access, exception — bond, amount — hearing.
Section 393.559 - Access, with sheriff, expenses of sheriff.
Section 393.561 - Damages awarded to utility customer, when — costs, court to determine who pays.
Section 393.563 - Other rights of access, not affected.
Section 393.565 - Appeals, customer must give bond.
Section 393.700 - Short title.
Section 393.705 - Definitions.
Section 393.720 - Commissions to be bodies public and corporate.
Section 393.725 - Bonds issued to be revenue bonds only — form of bonds.
Section 393.730 - Requirements of resolution authorizing bonds.
Section 393.735 - Additional security for bonds issued may be given, how.
Section 393.740 - Certain taxes applicable.
Section 393.745 - Refunding bonds may be issued.
Section 393.750 - Bonds legal investments for enumerated purposes.
Section 393.755 - Bonds may be repurchased.
Section 393.770 - Purchase agreements authorized — terms — not to constitute debt.
Section 393.831 - Articles of incorporation, amendment requirements.
Section 393.833 - Principal office, change of, procedure.
Section 393.837 - Securities law of Missouri not to apply, when.
Section 393.839 - Membership — meetings, annual, special — quorum — voting.
Section 393.841 - Voting districts may be provided, when, procedure.
Section 393.843 - Board of directors, powers and duties.
Section 393.845 - Officers, annual election, removal from office — employees and agents.
Section 393.849 - Excess revenues.
Section 393.851 - Prepayment of debt not prohibited.
Section 393.853 - Voluntary dissolution, articles, contents, submission to secretary of state.
Section 393.855 - Voluntary dissolution, procedure for winding up affairs.
Section 393.857 - Construction of laws relating to nonprofit sewer companies.
Section 393.861 - Private property of members exempt from execution for debts of company.
Section 393.900 - Nonprofit water companies may be organized — articles of incorporation.
Section 393.903 - Corporations may convert to nonprofit water companies, how.
Section 393.906 - Powers and duties.
Section 393.909 - May amend articles of incorporation, how.
Section 393.912 - Change of principal office, how.
Section 393.918 - Securities law not to apply, when.
Section 393.924 - Company territory may be divided into voting districts.
Section 393.927 - Board of directors, powers, duties, number, terms of office, procedure.
Section 393.930 - Officers, qualifications, powers and duties, terms of office.
Section 393.936 - Revenues to be distributed, when.
Section 393.939 - Prepayment of indebtedness permitted.
Section 393.942 - Voluntary dissolution before commencing operations.
Section 393.945 - Voluntary dissolution and windup of affairs after commencing operations.
Section 393.954 - Claims against insured nonprofit water company after dissolution, procedure.
Section 393.1000 - Definitions.
Section 393.1003 - Rate schedules, procedures to establish or change (St. Louis County).
Section 393.1009 - Definitions.
Section 393.1020 - Citation of law.
Section 393.1025 - Definitions.
Section 393.1040 - Encouragement of reduced consumption, objective of act.
Section 393.1045 - Cap on increase in retail charges based on renewable mandates.
Section 393.1150 - Suit or claim brought, measure of damages.
Section 393.1500 - Citation of law.
Section 393.1503 - Definitions.
Section 393.1610 - Small scale and private innovative technology investments — definitions.
Section 393.1640 - Growth project, discounts, when — requirements — discounts expire, when.
Section 393.1655 - Rate modifications, limitations on — definitions.