§6-5-601. Right of action for diversion or unauthorized use of utility services.

Any person who knowingly:

(1) Connects any tube, pipe, wire or other instrument with any meter, device, or other instrument used for conducting utility services in such a manner as to permit the use of said utility services without the same passing through a meter or other instrument recording the usage for billing;

(2) Alters, injures, turns on or prevents the action of a meter, valve, stopcock, or other instrument used for measuring quantities of utility services;

(3) Breaks, defaces or causes to be broken or defaced any seal, locking device, or other parts that make up a metering device for recording usage of utility services or a security system for said recording device;

(4) Removes a metering device for measuring quantities of utility services;

(5) Transfers from one location to another a metering device for measuring usage of utility services;

(6) Uses a metering device belonging to the utility that has not been assigned to said location and installed by the utility;

(7) Adjusts the indicated consumption, jams the measuring device, bypasses the meter or measuring device with a jumper so that it does not indicate use or registers incorrectly or otherwise obtains quantities of utility services from the utility without same passing through a metering device for measuring quantities of consumption for billing;

(8) Fabricates or uses a device to pick or otherwise tamper with the locks used to deter current diversion, meter tampering, and meter thefts;

(9) Otherwise takes any action resulting in the diversion or unauthorized use of utility services;

shall be liable civilly for damages resulting from such violations.

(Acts 1988, No. 88-542, p. 840, §2.)