ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Phone, cable and utility companies in New York may no longer charge early termination fees when service has been discontinued due to the death of a customer.
The rule was signed into law Tuesday by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said the practice of charging fees to deceased customers was “heartless and
inappropriate” and created burdens for those settling their loved ones’ affairs.
Few statistics are available about how often companies took such action, but Democratic Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, who sponsored the legislation, says a utility tried to charge her mother an early termination fee after she died.
The new regulation applies to landline and cellphone providers, cable, television, internet, power and water companies.
Any provider that violates the rule is subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,000.
- Posted September 29, 2016
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
NY:?Utilities can't charge termination fees after death
headlines Macomb
- Students star in courthouse competition
- Governor deploys National Guard, lifts trucking restrictions to get fuel to impacted areas, adds additional counties to state of emergency declaration
- SADO and MAACS attorneys to argue before Michigan Supreme Court
- Court affirms convictions of 2 key people in plot to kidnap Whitmer
- State AG Nessel issues new consumer alert on genetic testing services
headlines National
- ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
- Judge accused of using ‘game or jail’ tactic, asserting abuse victims get ‘Super Bowl’ neurochemicals
- Prosecutor gets suspension for invading jury’s ‘inner sanctum’
- Lateral hiring bounced back in 2024, especially for associates in BigLaw, new NALP report says
- Refugee ban can’t be enforced against those who received conditional approval, 9th Circuit says
- ABA, more than 50 bar associations condemn ‘government actions that seek to twist the scales of justice’
