Agenda Date: 4/8/08Agenda Item: VIID

STATE OF NEWJER~SE~,(Board of Public Utiliti4~s

Two Gateway CenterNewark, NJ 07102~ww.ni.aov/bJJu/

CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE

PRATAP JAINDANI,Petitioner

ORDER ADOPTING INITIAL DECI~)IONSETTLEMENT

v.BPU DOCKET NO. GCO7080606U

NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS COMPAI'JY,

Respondent GAL DOCKET NO. PUC 8903-07

(SERVICE LIST ATTACHED)

BY THE BOARD:

On August 9, 2007, Pratap Jaindani ("Petitioner") filed a petition with the Board disputing the billof New Jersey Natural Gas Company ("Respondent") for gas services.

After the filing of Respondent's answer, the Board transmittE~d this matter to the Office ofAdministrative Law ("GAL") for hearing and initial dispositiorl as a contested case pursuant toN.J.S.A. 52:14B-1 m ~ and N.J.S.A. 52:14F-1 m §~ This matter was assigned toAdministrative Law Judge ("ALJ") John Schuster III.

While this matter was pending at the GAL, the parties enga~~ed in negotiations and enterecj intoand signed a Stipulation of Settlement ("Stipulation") that was submitted to the ALJ. By InitialDecision issued on March 7, 2008, and submitted to the Bo,3.rd on March 13, 2008, to whic:h theStipulation was attached and made part thereof, ALJ Schuster found that the Stipulation wasvoluntary, that its terms fully disposed of all issues in controversy and that it satisfied therequirements of N.J.A.C. 1: 1-19.1. Pursuant to the terms of~ their settlement, the Respond,entcredited Petitioner's gas service accounts #xxxxxxxxxx43 and #xxxxxxxxxx60 in the amounts of$9,681.23 and $850.81, respectively. In return, the Petitionler agreed to pay the amount of:$4,006.62, towards gas service account #XXxxxxxxxx27.

After review of the Initial Decision and the Stipulation of the parties, the Board HEREBY E.~that the terms of the Stipulation represent a fair and reasonable resolution of all outstandirlgcontested issues. Accordingly, the Board HEREBY ADOPTS the Initial Decision and theStipulation of Settlement of the parties in their entirety as if fully set forth herein.

DATED: BOJ\RD OF PUBLIC UTiliTIESBY:

~_o_~ 7n 06 F~~~~JEANNE M. FOXPRESIDENT

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< FREDERICK F. BllrLER

COMMISSIONE~)tfOSiEPH L. FIORDALISO

COMMISSIONER

c. ~ I'll: ..&~ i.~ \J .\, :> , -~. \ -,""....--" (~~-Q '-

CHRISTINE V. BATOR

COMMISSIONER

ATTEST:

!~JrrKRISTIIZZOSECRETARY

2 BPU Docket No. GCO70806iO6UGAL Docket No. PUC8903..07

PRATAP JAINDANIv.

NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS C:OMPANY

BPU DOCKET NO. GCOjr080606UOAL DOCKET NO. PUC 8903-07

SERVICE LIST

Fred J. Klein, Esq.One Woodbridge CenterSuite 710Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095

Eileen F. Quinn, Esq.New Jersey Natural Gas (~ompany1415 Wyckoff RoadP.O. Box 1468Wall, New Jersey 07719

Eric Hartsfield, DirectorJulie Ford-WilliamsDivision of Customer AssistanceBoard of Public UtilitiesTwo Gateway CenterNewark, New Jersey 07102

Cynthia L. Miller, DAGDivision of Law124 Halsey StreetP.O. Box 45029Newark, New Jersey 07102

3 BPU Docket No. GCO7080606UGAL Docket No. PUC8903.,O7

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2008/fAR 13 PH.?! ') ~....~. .J (D'~A-

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OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW

INITIAL. DECISION

5ETTL~~OAL DKT. NO. PUG 8903-07

AGEN(;Y DKT. NO. GC07080606U

PRATAP JAINDANI,

Petitioner,

v.NEW JERSEY NATURJ~L.

GAS COMPANY,

Respondent.

Fred J. Klein, Esq., for petitioner

Eileen F. Quinn, Esq., for respondent

Decided: March 7, 2008Record Closed: March 6, 2008

BEFORE JOHN SCHU:STER III, ALJ:

This matter was transmitted to the Office of Administrative Law on November 8,

2007, for determination as a contested case, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:148-1 to -15 and

N.J.S.A. 52:14F-1 to -13.

The parties have agreed to a settlement and have prepared a Stipulation of

Settlement (J-1) indicating the terms thereof, which is attached and fully incorporated

herein.

NEW JERSEY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

, ,

OAL.DKT. NO. PUG 8903-07

have reviewed the record and the terms thereclf and I FIND:

1. The parties have voluntarily agreed to the settlement as evidencI3d by

their signatures or their representatives' signatures.

2. The settlement fully disposes of all issue:s in controversy and is cons,istent

with the law.

I CONCLUDE that this settlement meets the r~3quirements of N.J.A.C. 1 :1-19.1

and that the settlement should be approved. I approve the settlement and therefore

ORDER that the parti,es comply with the settlement tl3rms and that these procee:dings

be concluded.

hereby FILE my initial decision with the BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILlTIE:S for

consideration,

OAL DKT. NO: PUG 8903-07

This recommended decision may be adopted, modified or rejected b,y the

BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES, which by law is authorized to make a final deci~;ion in

this matter. If the Board of Public Utilities does not adopt, modify or reject this de!cision

within forty-five days and unless such time limit is otherwise extended, thts

recommended decision shall become a final decision in accordance with ~J;§.A

52:148-10.

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;-~,Ied to Part~~5:

t:?~~~-14C u,.,'" "~~~AJIE)'~r ~rr~~1r~ LAW J(JCJCI -

OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE Lt~W

MAR 1 2 200:6

DATE

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3

OAL okr. NO. 'PUG 8903-07

EXHIBITS

Joint:

J-1 Stipulation of Settlement

,~Mar. 5. .20084 2~24PM7326369f144 FRED J KlEIN ESQ No. 0042 P. 2E 02/82

1:56PM No. 0038,

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m~EN Ii'. Q'(J)N:N, ESQ,1415 WyckoffRoJsdP ,0, :Sox 1468Wall) New Jersey 07719(732) 938-1018 .

Attorneys for Respl~ndBnt,New Jel.'Sey Natural! Gas Company

I

IPRATAP lAINDANI, : STATE OF NEW ffiRSEY ~ OFFICE OF

i ADMINISTRA TlVE LA W ..Petitioner, I

.! OAt bOCKET NO.: ~UCC 08903-20078 ,rVI. ! Agency R~ft1'ence No.: GCO708050ro

NEW JERSEY NA TURAt GAS COMPANY.

Rc~ond'~nt. smULATION OF SETTLE.MENT.I.

The matter in differ.ence in the above-entitled actIon having 'been amtoably adj\lstcd 1~

and bctween the pa\ueS1 it is hereby l"tipu]aood and agreed 1hat the same be md is hereby setttl!d,

8S follows:

Respl)ndent. New Jersey Natwal Gas CQmpany \vill c~edit (1)$9.681.23 {ninety-six hundred aightY-~!!~81.8 end twenty-threecents:~ to petitioner's gas aCCOUnt -~ 3; and. (2) $850.81(eight hundred .fifty dollars and eighty-one cents) .to petjtion~s gasnccount ~O. Pm'thcr, Petition$[ will pay $4,006.62(four thou.srx dollars and sixty-tWo cents) to his gas account2200].0703527.

Dated: March 5. 2008

PlOd J~ ~ jIJd -Attorl;IeY!Ol' Petltio.nj~r, Pratap Jaindani

Mar. 5. .2008 2 :.24 PM No. 0042 p"

~

New JerseyNatural Gas

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;:"i,"..,~t;:-,..;:".,,-,,~-,,).--,OFf"iCE Of I\D~1!tJ L!~\'cjMarch 5, 2008

VIA FASCIAmU~ 609-588-6574 & REGULAR MAll,-Honorable John SchusterState of New Jerse,'Office of Adminisu'ative LawQuakerbridge Plaza, Bldg. 9Quakerbridge RoadP. O. Box 049Mercerville. New Jersey 08625-0049

Re: Pratap Jaindani v. New Jeney Natural Gas Co.BilliIIIg DisputeOM. Docket No.: PUCC 08903-20078~ICV Reference No.: GC07080606U -..

Dear Judge SchUStelr:

Enclosed please find a copy of the fully executed Stipulation of Settlement illconnection with the aboverreferenced dispute which was scheduled for a plenary hearinl~before Your Honor on Friday t March 7 t 2008.

, .~;.Thank you for your kind consideration in thi~- matter. Should you have an~,

questions or concerns, p~.ease do ue.t hesitate to contact me at 732--938-1018.

Respectfully yours,

)t:;.i-fY Eileen F. Quinn

Senior Litigation Counsel

Enclosure

co: Fred J. Klein, Esq.Regina ConlonArlene Paskol, DAGJ. H. Buehrer & Associates

4304_1.00<:

1415 Wyckoff Road P.O. eO~ 1~64 '#all. NJ 07719 Phone: 732-938-1000 WWWJ

...1

'.

A copy of the administrative law'judge's

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,

OFFICE OF ADMINISTRA11VE LAW.9 Quakerbridse piazI

F.D: Box 0497m1ton, New J=y 08625-0049

(609) S8&-6SB4