1367 Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Law Bureau Prosecutory Staff; doc. no. C-00992341 v. Public Communications Assoc. Ltd. t/a Public Phone; A-310052

Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Law Bureau Prosecutory Staff; Doc. No. C-00992341 v. Public Communications Assoc. Ltd. t/a Public Phone; A-310052

[30 Pa.B. 4198]

Public Meeting held
July 20, 2000

Commissioners Present: John M. Quain, Chairperson; Robert K. Bloom, Vice-Chairperson; Nora Mead Brownell; Aaron Wilson, Jr.; Terrance J. Fitzpatrick

Default Order

By the Commission:

   On April 8, 1999, the Law Bureau Prosecutory Staff instituted a complaint against Public Communications Assoc. Ltd., t/a Public Phone (Respondent), an IXC reseller certificated at A-310052. In the complaint, Prosecutory Staff alleged that the Commission sent by certified mail notices to the Respondent that under 66 Pa.C.S. § 510, its 1996-1997 Annual Assessment in the amount of $728, its 1997-1998 Annual Assessment in the amount of $908, and its 1998-1999 Annual Assessment in the amount of $840 were due. The complaint charged that the Respondent violated 66 Pa.C.S. § 510(c) by neither paying the assessments nor filing objections.

   The complaint sought the following remedies:

   (1)  That the Commission issue an order canceling the Respondent's certificate of public convenience if Respondent failed to answer the complaint within 20 days of receipt of the complaint, and

   (2)  That the Commission issue an order referring the total outstanding assessment balance to the Attorney General's office for appropriate civil collection action.

   According to the post office return receipt, the complaint was unclaimed because the Respondent moved and the forwarding order expired. To date, more than 20 days later, no answer has been filed to the complaint, the assessment has not been paid, and the Respondent has not notified the Commission of its current address; Therefore, It Is Ordered That:

   1.  The allegations in the Law Bureau Prosecutory Staff's complaint are deemed admitted and the complaint is thereby sustained.

   2.  The Secretary serve a copy of this order upon all jurisdictional telecommunication carriers and also cause a copy of this order to be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin with a 20-day comment period.

   3.  Public Communications Assoc. Ltd., t/a Public Phone immediately cease providing service to any new customers and, within 10 days of the entry date of this order, provide a written notice to each existing customer directing each to select an alternative IXC service provider within 30 days of the date of the notice. Such notice must include a statement of the Commission's intent to cancel the company's certificate of public convenience absent adverse public comment within the 20-day time constraint established under Ordering Paragraph No. 2 above.

   4.  Absent the filing of adverse public comment, 30 days after publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and without further action by the Commission, the certificate of public convenience held by Public Communications Assoc. Ltd., t/a Public Phone at Docket No. A-310052 shall be cancelled, and the company's name stricken from all active-utility lists maintained by the Tariff and Annual Report Section of the Commission's Bureau of Fixed Utility Services and the Assessment Section of the Bureau of Audits.

   5.  Sixty days after publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, following cancellation of the certificate of public convenience under Ordering Paragraph No. 4 above, the Office of Executive Director refer the total outstanding assessment balance to the Attorney General's office for appropriate civil collection and action.

JAMES J. MCNULTY,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 00-1367. Filed for public inspection August 4, 2000, 9:00 a.m.]