Complaints

PURPOSE: This rule establishes the procedures for filing formal and informal complaints with the commission. (1) Any person or public utility who feels aggrieved by an alleged violation of any tariff, statute, rule, order, or decision within the commission’s jurisdiction may file a complaint. A complaint may also be filed by the commission on its own motion, the commission staff through the staff counsel, or the Office of the Public Counsel. (2) A person who feels aggrieved by an alleged violation of any tariff, statute, rule, order, or decision within the commission’s jurisdiction may file an informal complaint with the commission’s consumer services department or file either a formal complaint or small formal complaint with the commission. Filing an informal complaint is not a prerequisite to filing a formal or small formal complaint; however, the presiding officer may direct that a pro se complainant be required to go through the informal complaint procedure before the formal complaint will be heard by the commission. If an allegedly aggrieved person initially files an informal complaint and is not satisfied with the outcome, such person may also file a formal or small formal complaint. (3) Informal Complaints. The protections and processes of an informal complaint regarding service or billing practices are set out in 4 CSR 240-13. To file an informal complaint, the complainant shall state, either in writing, by telephone (consumer services hotline 1-800-392-4211 or Relay Missouri at 711), or in person at the commission’s offices— (A) The name, street address, and telephone number of each complainant and, if one (1) person asserts authority to act on behalf of the others, the source of that authority; (B) The address where the utility service was rendered; (C) The name and address of the party against whom the complaint is filed; (D) The nature of the complaint and the complainant’s interest therein; (E) The relief requested; and (F) The measures taken by the complainant to resolve the complaint. (4) Formal Complaints. A formal complaint may be made by petition or complaint in writing, setting forth any act or thing done or omitted to be done by any person, corporation, or public utility, including any rule or charge established or fixed by or for any person, corporation, or public utility, in violation or claimed to be in violation of any provision of law or of any rule or order or decision of the commission. The formal complaint shall contain the following information: (A) The name and street address of each complainant and, if different, the address where the subject utility service was rendered; (B) The signature, telephone number, facsimile number, and email address of each complainant or their legal representative, where applicable; (C) The name and address of the person, corporation, or public utility against whom the complaint is being filed; (D) The nature of the complaint and the complainant’s interest in the complaint, in a clear and concise manner; (E) The relief requested; (F) A statement as to whether the complainant has directly contacted the person, corporation, or public utility about which complaint is being made; (G) The jurisdiction of the commission over the subject matter of the complaint; and (H) If the complainant is an association, other than an incorporated association or other entity created by statute, a list of all its members. (5) No complaint shall be entertained by the commission, except upon its own motion, as to the reasonableness of any rates or charges of any public utility unless the complaint is signed by the public counsel, the mayor or the president or chairman of the board of aldermen or a majority of the council or other legislative body of any town, village, county, or other political subdivision, within which the alleged violation occurred, or not fewer than twenty-five (25) consumers or purchasers or prospective consumers or purchasers of public utility gas, electricity, water, sewer, or telephone service as provided by law. Any public utility has the right to file a formal complaint on any of the grounds upon which complaints are allowed to be filed by other persons and the same procedure shall be followed as in other cases. AND INSURANCE (6) The commission shall not be required to dismiss any complaint because of the absence of direct damage to the complainant. (7) The commission, on its own motion or on the motion of a party, may after notice dismiss a complaint for failure to state a claim on which relief may be granted or failure to comply with any provision of these rules or an order of the commission, or may strike irrelevant allegations. (8) Upon the filing of a complaint in compliance with these rules, the secretary of the commission shall serve by certified mail, postage prepaid, a copy of the complaint upon the person, corporation, or public utility against whom the complaint has been filed, which shall be accompanied by a notice that the matter complained of be satisfied or that the complaint be answered by the respondent, unless otherwise ordered, within thirty (30) days of the date of the notice. Additionally, the complainant may accomplish service of the complaint upon the respondent(s) by any method authorized by Supreme Court Rule 54, having first obtained authorization from the commission for use of a special process server. Any person eligible to serve process under Supreme Court Rule 54 may be nominated as a special process server. A return of service shall be promptly filed with the commission as in the circuit courts of this state. (9) The respondent shall file an answer to the complaint within the time provided. All grounds of defense, both of law and of fact, shall be raised in the answer. If the respondent has no information or belief upon the subject sufficient to enable the respondent to answer an allegation of the complaint, the respondent may so state in the answer and assert a denial upon that ground. (10) If the respondent in a complaint case fails to file a timely answer, the complainant’s averments may be deemed admitted and an order granting default entered. The respondent has seven (7) days from the issue date of the order granting default to file a motion to set aside the order of default and extend the filing date of the answer. The commission may grant the motion to set aside the order of default and grant the respondent additional time to answer if it finds good cause. (11) The commission may order, at any time after the filing of a complaint, an investigation by its staff as to the cause of the complaint. The staff shall file a report of its findings with the commission and all parties to the complaint case. The investigative report shall not be made public unless released in accordance with section 386.480, 392.210(2), or 393.140(3), RSMo, or during the course of the hearing involving the complaint. (12) When the commission determines that a hearing should be held, the commission shall fix the time and place of the hearing. The commission shall serve notice upon the affected person, corporation, or public utility not fewer than ten (10) days before the time set for the hearing, unless the commission finds the public necessity requires that the hearing be held at an earlier date. (13) All matters upon which a complaint may be founded may be joined in one (1) hearing and no motion for dismissal shall be entertained against a complainant for misjoinder of causes of action or grievances or misjoinder or nonjoinder of parties. (14) When an order is rendered disposing of a case, the regulatory law judge shall cause the parties to be notified that the order will be final unless an application for rehearing is filed within the allotted number of days and provide information regarding the rehearing and appeal process. (15) Small Formal Complaint Case. If a customer of a utility files a formal complaint regarding any dispute involving less than three thousand dollars ($3,000), the process set forth in this section shall be followed for such complaints. The provisions of sections (1)–(14) of this rule shall also apply to small formal complaints. (A) When a complaint is filed that qualifies for handling as a small formal complaint, the assigned regulatory law judge shall direct the secretary of the commission to serve, by certified mail, postage prepaid, a copy of the complaint upon the person, corporation, or public utility against whom the complaint has been filed. At the same time, the regulatory law judge shall notify all parties that the complaint will proceed under the small formal complaint process. The person, corporation, or public utility against whom the complaint has been filed is allowed thirty (30) days after the date of notice to satisfy the complaint or file an answer. If the person, corporation, or public utility does not satisfy the complaint or file an answer within thirty (30) days, the regulatory law judge may issue an order granting default and deeming the allegations of the complaint to have been admitted by the respondent. A party in default has seven (7) days from the issue date of the order granting default to file a motion to set aside the order of default. The regulatory law judge may grant the motion to set aside the order of default and allow the respondent additional time to answer upon a showing of good cause. (B) If any party believes that a complaint should or should not be handled as a small formal complaint, that party may file a motion with the commission requesting that the status of the complaint be changed. In response to such motion, or acting on its own motion, the commission shall, at its discretion, decide how the complaint shall be handled. (C) Upon the filing of a complaint that qualifies under this section, the chief regulatory law judge shall assign the case to a regulatory law judge. To process small complaint cases in the timeliest manner and in the most convenient location for the customers, the commission hereby delegates the commission’s authority to hear the case, make rulings, and issue a recommended report and order or other appropriate order disposing of the case to such regulatory law judge. (D) The commission’s staff shall, within forty-five (45) days after the complaint is filed, investigate the complaint and file a report detailing staff’s findings and recommendations. The regulatory law judge may allow staff additional time to complete its investigation for good cause shown. The member or members of the commission’s staff who investigate the complaint shall be available as a witness at the hearing if the regulatory law judge or any party wishes to call them to testify. (E) Any hearing, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties, shall be held in the county, or a city not within a county, where the subject utility service was rendered or within thirty (30) miles of where the service was rendered. The regulatory law judge may allow any party, witness, or attorney to participate in the hearing by telephone. (F) Small formal complaint case hearings shall be conducted in an informal summary manner whenever possible, without affecting the rights of the parties— 1. The technical rules of evidence shall not apply; 2. The regulatory law judge shall have the authority to dispense with pre-filed written testimony; and 3. The regulatory law judge shall assume an affirmative duty to determine the merits of the claims and defenses of the parties and may question parties and witnesses. (G) The regulatory law judge, after affording the parties reasonable opportunity for discovery and a fair hearing, shall issue a recommended report and order within one hundred (100) days following the filing of the complaint, unless the regulatory law judge finds good cause to extend that time or the extension is otherwise agreed to by the parties. (H) Any party subject to a recommended order disposing of the case or a recommended report and order issued by a regulatory law judge under this section may file with the commission, within ten (10) days of the issuance of the recommended order, comments supporting or opposing the recommended order. Any comments opposing the recommended order shall contain specific detailed grounds upon which it claims the order is unlawful, unjust, or unreasonable. The commission may approve or reject the recommended order based on the existing record without further hearing. If the commission rejects the recommended order, the commission shall issue its own order based on the evidence previously submitted, or upon such additional evidence, as the commission shall choose to receive. AUTHORITY: section 386.410, RSMo 2016.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 240-2.070. Original rule filed Dec. 19, 1975, effective Dec. 29, 1975. Amended: Filed Nov. 7, 1984, effective June 15, 1985. Amended: Filed June 9, 1987, effective Nov. 12, 1987. Rescinded and readopted: Filed March 10, 1995, effective Nov. 30, 1995. Rescinded and readopted: Filed Aug. 24, 1999, effective April 30, 2000. Amended: Filed March 24, 2010, effective Oct. 30, 2010. Amended: Filed March 2, 2011, effective Oct. 30, 2011. Amended: Filed Nov. 7, 2018, effective July 30, 2019. Moved to 20 CSR 4240-2.070, effective Aug. 28, 2019. *Original authority: 386.410, RSMo 1939, amended 1947, 1977, 1996.