Media Contact: PUC Press Office, 415.703.1366, news@cpuc.ca.gov

PUC ACTS TO STOP ILLEGAL MOVING
COMPANY BEST MOVERS

SAN FRANCISCO, September 4, 2003 -- The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC), in its ongoing efforts to clamp down on illegal moving companies, had telephone service shut off to Best Movers based in Upland, CA. Arnold Baeza, owner of Best Movers (also known as Arnold's Best Movers and Royal Best Movers) had been operating a moving business after the revocation of his PUC permit for failure to maintain evidence of public liability insurance coverage.

Despite the warnings of PUC staff to stop all unlawful advertising and operations as a mover without the required permit, the carrier continues to operate and advertise. Arnold Baeza has placed advertisements for moving services in several publications in the Southern California area. Specifically, these advertisements appeared in the 2002-2003 edition of the South County-Coastal Yellow Pages and 2002-2003 edition of the Saddleback Valley Yellow Pages.

On August 20, 2003, the PUC's Consumer Protection and Safety Division's Enforcement Section obtained an order signed by Judge Paul M. Bryant, Superior Court, San Bernardino County directing SBC to terminate telephone service to two SBC landlines of Best Movers. The two phone numbers were disconnected on Friday, August 22, 2003.

Under Public Utilities (Pub.Util.) Code section 5133, no one may engage or attempt to engage in transporting household goods without a PUC license. Consumers using unlicensed movers may suffer irreparable losses of personal belongings with little means of recovery. Pub.Util. Code, Section 5322 authorizes the PUC to request a local phone company to cut off service to a carrier using the phone to operate illegally as a household goods carrier.

For more information, please visit the PUC's website at www.cpuc.ca.gov.

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