Riverside General Fund Transfer Settlement
Published: 09/30/2022
Current and Former Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) electric customers may have recently received correspondence from JND, a City of Riverside settlement administrator consultant.
As the result of a recent legal settlement, the City of Riverside must issue credits to qualifying individuals who were Riverside Public Utilities electric customers between January 1, 2019 - November 4, 2021. Current qualified electric customers will soon begin receiving credits on their bill and former customers will receive information on how to apply for reimbursement.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
BASIC INFORMATION
You received a Notice because you may be entitled to a refund as a current or former retail electric utilities Customer of the City of Riverside. A Conditional Settlement Agreement and Release was reached in the lawsuit titled Parada et al v. City of Riverside, Riverside Superior Court Case No. RIC 1818642. The City denies all allegations of wrongdoing and the Court has not decided who is right. The parties have entered into the Settlement for the sole purpose of resolving contested claims and disputes, and avoiding the costs, expenses, and uncertainties associated with further litigation.
City of Riverside voters have previously voted to approve a General Fund Transfer (“GFT”) from the City's Electric Fund to the City’s General Fund. The GFT provides a locally controlled revenue source to the General Fund. Combined with other revenue sources, it funds vital government services including, but not limited to, fire, paramedic, police, street repairs, parks, senior services, homelessness, and other general services. In 2010, California voters passed Proposition 26 which provided that certain fees and charges unrelated to retail electric service must be approved by voters.
In 2018, the City was served with a lawsuit titled Parada et al. v. City of Riverside. The plaintiffs in that lawsuit argued that the GFT was an added tax that required voter approval. They alleged that the City violated Proposition 26 by not securing voter approval for the GFT. In May 2021, the parties reached a Conditional Settlement Agreement. Pursuant to the Settlement, the City placed a measure on the November 2021 ballot. The measure asked voters to approve the city’s GFT practices as a general tax.
On November 2, 2021, City residents voted and approved the ballot measure. The parties subsequently signed an Amendment to Conditional Settlement Agreement and Release in May of 2022. Pursuant to the Amendment, the parties agreed to file a joint request for dismissal of the lawsuit and to be bound by other terms of the Settlement.
The City denies all allegations of wrongdoing and the Court has not decided who is right. The parties have entered into the Settlement for the sole purpose of resolving contested claims and disputes, and avoiding the costs, expenses, and uncertainties associated with further litigation.
WHO IS INCLUDED IN THE SETTLEMENT
Current and Former electric service retail Customers of the City of Riverside, from January 1, 2019 through November 4, 2021, may be entitled to a refund. The City of Riverside will distribute refunds to its Current and Former Riverside Public Utilities electric Customers in proportion to each Customer’s contribution to the total amount being refunded. Customer accounts that received aid or arrearage program funding during this time period for electric service charges will not be entitled to refunds for GFT paid by those programs.
If, according to the City’s records, you are a Former Customer, you must file a claim to receive your refund. You may submit a Claim Form electronically by clicking on
Riverside GFT Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91239
Seattle, WA 98111
Claims must be submitted electronically or postmarked by a date to be determined. Please check this website frequently for updates.
If you have at least one active City of Riverside Public Utilities electric account, you are a Current Customer and you do not have to file a claim for any of your accounts. Refunds to Current Customers will cover all eligible active and inactive accounts and will be issued in the form of on-bill credits beginning October 2022. Current Customers do not have to take any action to receive these on-bill credits.
Yes. Former retail electric utilities Customers of the City of Riverside from January 1, 2019 through November 4, 2021 are eligible. The City will distribute refunds to its Current and Former City of Riverside Public Utilities electric Customers in proportion to each Customer's contribution to the total amount being refunded. Customer accounts that received aid or arrearage program funding during this time period for electric service charges will not be entitled to refunds for GFT paid by those programs.
If, according to the City's records, you are a Former Customer, you must file a claim to receive your refund. You may submit a Claim Form electronically by using the File a Claim tab at the top of this website. You may also complete a paper claim by calling 1-877-654-1984 to request one. Completed paper claims should be mailed to:
Riverside GFT Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91239
Seattle, WA 98111
Claims must be submitted electronically or postmarked by a date to be determined. Please check this website frequently for updates.
If you have at least one active City of Riverside Public Utilities electric account, you are a Current Customer and you do not have to file a claim for any of your accounts. Refunds to Current Customers will cover all eligible active and inactive accounts and will be issued in the form of on-bill credits beginning October 2022. Current Customers do not have to take any action to receive these on-bill credits.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SETTLEMENT
Pursuant to the Settlement, the City has agreed to refund $24,000,000 to Customers, less the amount awarded to Plaintiffs’ counsel in fees and less the incentive payments to the two named plaintiffs of the lawsuit. Eligible Customers are entitled to a refund of a portion of their electric utility bills for the period of January 1, 2019 through November 4, 2021. For those customers who received aid from CAPP, LiHEAP, or UnitedLift, the refund will be allocated proportionally to the customer and the funding agency based on the percentage of aid received.
No. If you have at least one active City of Riverside Public Utilities electric account, you are a Current Customer and you do not have to file a claim for any of your accounts. Refunds to Current Customers will coverall eligible active and inactive accounts and will be issued in the form of on-bill credits beginning October 2022.
Current Customers do not have to take any action to receive these on-bill credits.
Former Customers can file a claim by clicking on File a Claim above. Claims must be filed by a date to be determined. Please check this website frequently for updates. You may also complete a paper claim by calling 1-877-654-1984 to request one. Completed paper claims should be mailed to:
Riverside GFT Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91239
Seattle, WA 98111
Claims must be submitted electronically or postmarked by a date to be determined.Please check this website frequently for updates.
If you have at least one active City of Riverside Public Utilities electric account, you are a Current Customer and you do not have to file a claim for any of your accounts. Refunds to Current Customers will cover all eligible active and inactive accounts and will be issued in the form of on-bill credits beginning October 2022.
Current Customers do not have to take any action to receive these on-bill credits.
If you are a Former Customer, you will have a Unique ID and a PIN sent to you with the Notice. If you received a Notice by mail, your Unique ID and PIN will be located in the upper right corner. If you received Notice by email, your Unique ID and PIN will be located at the top.
We will need to locate your record so you can file a claim with your Unique ID and PIN. Please contact us at 1-877-654-1984 so we may assist you. You will need to provide your full name and address.
Yes. Please contact one of our agents at 1-877-654-1984 and someone can assist you. You will need to provide your full name and address.
GETTING MORE INFORMATION
More information can be found on this website, where you can review Frequently Asked Questions and Important Documents. You may also call us at 1-877-654-1984.
Claims for Former Customers can be filed by clicking on File a Claim above. Claims must be filed by Former Customers by a date to be determined. Please check this website frequently for updates.
MISCELLANEOUS
If, according to the City’s records, you have no eligible active City of Riverside Public Utility electric accounts, you are a Former Customer and you must file a claim to receive your refund.
Former Customers may submit a Claim Form electronically by clicking File a Claim above. You may also complete a paper claim by calling 1-877-654-1984 to request one. Completed paper claims should be mailed to:
Riverside GFT Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91239
Seattle, WA 98111
Claims must be submitted electronically or postmarked by a date to be determined. Please check this website frequently for updates. Failure to file a claim will result in loss of cash payment.
If, according to the City's records, you have at least one eligible active City of Riverside Public Utilities electric account, you are a Current Customer and you do not have to file a claim for any of your accounts. Refunds to Current Customers will cover all eligible active and inactive accounts and will be issued in the form of on-bill credits beginning October 2022.
Current Customers do not have to take any action to receive these on-bill credits.
Address updates must be made in writing and include:
- your name;
- the case name: Riverside GFT Settlement;
- your old mailing address for verification purposes;
- your new address.
Address updates must be mailed to:
Riverside GFT Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91239
Seattle, WA 98111
JND is a third-party Settlement Administrator selected by the City to notify retail electric utility customers of the Settlement and about a potential refund. We are not affiliated with the City of Riverside and do not have information about customer accounts..
If you need assistance with your electric utility account, please contact Riverside Public Utilities Customer Service at (951) 782-0330.
No. A Current Customer cannot request a check in place of receiving a credit on their utility bill.
Per Section 1.2.2.2.2 of the Conditional Settlement Agreement, you must submit your claim "within a year of the date the City first gives notice."
