FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Terrie Prosper, 415.703.1366, news@cpuc.ca.gov

PUC HAS PHONE NUMBERS OF TWO
UNLICENSED MOVING COMPANIES DISCONNECTED

SAN FRANCISCO, February 15, 2006 -- The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC), in its ongoing efforts to clamp down on illegal moving companies, had telephone service shut off to two unlicensed movers operating in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties.

Jennifer's Moving, a partnership of Adrian Montoya and Alberto C. Millan, is based in San Jose. An investigation by the Commission's Consumer Protection and Safety Division (CPSD) found that Jennifer's Moving unlawfully advertised moving services and transported used household goods without a valid permit. Further, Jennifer's Moving misled the public into believing they were properly licensed by using bogus permit numbers in Yellow Pages advertisements, which currently appear in at least four SBC Yellow Pages directories distributed in Fremont, San Jose, Redwood City, Los Altos, and nearby cities. Jennifer's Moving also had ads in the San Jose Mercury News newspaper and posted on the Internet.

Another business, SC On Call Furniture Moving in Santa Cruz (John Liikala acting in concert with Brian Mahoney), placed advertisements in the current SBC Yellow Pages for Santa Cruz County and in the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper. SC On Call operated a moving business and displayed two telephone numbers in its advertising.

Despite CPSD staff's written and verbal directives to both companies to immediately cease operations, the companies continued to offer unlawful moves. CPSD staff investigated and confirmed both Jennifer's Moving and SC On Call continued to provide moving quotations. CPSD staff obtained orders signed by judges of the Superior Courts in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties to terminate telephone service to these two unlicensed businesses.

Cutting off phone service has proven an effective tool for the PUC in curbing unlicensed companies and protecting the public. 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.

To find out if a moving company is licensed and to get helpful tips on choosing a mover, please visit our website at http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/static/transportation/movers.htm.

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

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