Section 471-C:8 Deposits and Other Payments as Held by Utilities.
I. A deposit, including any interest thereon, made by a subscriber with a utility to secure payment or any sum paid for utility services less any lawful deductions, that is due and owing but remains unclaimed by the owner for more than one year after termination of the services for which the deposit or payment was made is presumed abandoned.
II. The public utilities commission may certify that a utility is participating in a financial assistance program which assists the utility's low income and disadvantaged customers with their utility bill. Upon certification to the administrator, the utility shall pay 85 percent of the funds which would have been presumed to be abandoned under paragraph I to the financial assistance program certified by the public utilities commission. The utility shall remain obligated to file its report of such abandoned property as required by RSA 471-C:19, and shall remit the remaining 15 percent of the funds with the report required under RSA 471-C:21, I to be used to compensate the administrator for the costs of notice and publication under RSA 471-C:20.
III. The provisions of paragraph II shall not apply to a public utility operating or managing any plant or equipment or any part of the same for the conveyance of telephone or telegraph messages.
IV. Any public utility that operates any plant or equipment or any part of same for the conveyance of telephone or telegraph messages shall pay 85 percent of the funds which would have been presumed to be abandoned under paragraph I to the public interest payphone fund established under RSA 374:22-q. The utility shall remain obligated to file its report of such abandoned property as required by RSA 471-C:19, and shall remit the remaining 15 percent of the funds, together with the report required under RSA 471-C:21, I, to be used to compensate the administrator for the costs of notice and publication under RSA 471-C:20.
Source. 1986, 204:1. 1994, 213:1. 2004, 132:3, eff. July 1, 2005. 2006, 266:1, eff. Aug. 8, 2006.