PUCN orders billing corrections and monitoring after staff finds Silver Springs Mobile Home Park billed tenants incorrectly

The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada approved an order directing corrections to tenant bills after staff’s investigation found Silver Springs Mobile Home Park had both undercharged and overcharged tenants for electric service.

Hearing Officer Crano presented docket 23-07015, describing staff’s investigation and legal analysis under NRS 704-940, NAC 704-983 and NAC 704-985, which prohibit landlords from charging tenants more than the utility charges the landlord and require itemizing each component of utility billing on monthly rental statements. Crano told the commission that staff’s proposed order would adopt staff’s legal analysis and order tenant bills to be corrected according to staff’s confidential workpapers. Crano asked that paragraph 24 be revised to delete the words "3 year" and instead limit refunds to the period of staff’s analysis; the order would require correcting underbilling for only a three-month period.

Jay Bridal, regulatory accountant staff, explained that staff had discussions with the park owner, Mr. Thornfelt, and that although the owner had been cooperative, staff had observed billing errors and that in the past the owner had been undercharging tenants by absorbing portions of the bill related to the basic service charge. Bridal said staff had not been in contact recently and expected to work with the owner after the order issues. Crano said staff will meet semiannually with the park owner for the next couple of years to ensure correct billing.

Commissioners approved the hearing officer’s proposed order with the corrected paragraph language and directed staff to implement the billing corrections and semiannual outreach.