Gas Line Explosion Wrecks Homes, So Who Pays? SB900 Says “People Who Live There”

SB900 was voted off the Senate floor Monday, a day after a gas explosion in West Sacramento displaced 34 residents and blew up their apartment homes. Some residents were hospitalized. Here’s the news story and photos showing the damage: https://www.kcra.com/article/west-sacramento-apartment-complex-explosion/60837178

What’s the connection between the legislation and Sunday’s explosion?

SB900/Umberg will make homeowners living in California’s 55,000 associations responsible for maintaining and repairing ALL utility lines when there is any “interruption in service”, though the bill doesn’t say what that means.  (An explosion no doubt qualifies as an “interruption in service.”)

SB900 was triggered by a gas line incident in LaVeta Monterey condos, converted from old apartments much like Washington Courtyard homes in West Sacramento..  More than 200 low-mod-income mostly Hispanic owners in Umberg’s district were without gas for months while the defective lines lay rusting and broken outside on the ground.  A lot of finger-pointing went on among SoCalGas, the City of Orange, and the association over who was to maintain and repair the lines and pay the bill.

Without admitting responsibility, the association hired an engineer to fix the lines, but then sent  a $4800 bill to each homeowner to pay for the $1 million in repairs.  The $4800 was due in 30 days; most of the working-class Hispanic residents couldn’t pay, even on an installment plan.  Here is one of multiple news stories on the incident:  https://www.foxla.com/news/orange-condo-residents-without-gas-for-weeks  

Only the homeowners had to pay for the repairs: not SoCalGas or apparently any insurers.  SB900 doesn’t require utility companies or insurers to pay either — only homeowners.  As CCHAL readers know, associations can foreclose – just like a bank – when owners can’t afford to pay assessments.

SB900 will make this “solution” permanent: instead of making the UTILITY COMPANIES fix their own lines (which is what typical CC&Rs  require), HOMEOWNERS are going to get stuck with the bills. 

Nor does SB900 look to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for answers – or even guidance.  When gas lines blew up in a San Bruno neighborhood ten years ago killing 8 people, the PUC held public hearings on the causes.  Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) was ultimately held liable for claims totaling $565 million brought by 499 victims. 

According to news reports, PG&E was on-site at Sunday’s West Sacramento explosion, but SoCalGas was invisible in the La Veta case.  It’s also invisible in SB900.  The only people to be held responsible for maintaining utility lines – and paying to fix them – are homeowners.  WHY?

To learn HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW, go here on the CCHAL website: https://calhomelaw.org/2024-legislation/how-a-bill-becomes-a-law/

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