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HomePublic Utilities CodeDiv. 5Ch. 1Art. 6§ 10251 Municipal Property Damage Liability

§ 10251 Municipal Property Damage Liability

Public Utilities Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 10251 Municipal Property Damage Liability

This law says if you damage something that belongs to the city because you weren’t careful, you have to pay for fixing or replacing it.

Key Takeaways

  • •You must take proper care around city-owned facilities and equipment.
  • •If you damage them, you owe the cost to repair or replace them, including labor, materials, and other related expenses.
  • •You may also have to pay additional damages that the law allows.

Example

A delivery driver backs his truck into a city fire hydrant and bends it.

Because the driver hit the hydrant by mistake, the city can make him pay the full cost to repair or replace the hydrant, plus any extra costs the city has because of the damage.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 10251 Municipal Property Damage Liability

Any person who injures or destroys, through want of proper care, any necessary or useful facility or equipment of any municipal corporation is liable to the municipal corporation for all damages sustained thereby. The measure of damages to the facility or equipment injured or destroyed shall be the cost to repair or replace the property injured or destroyed including direct and allocated costs for labor, materials, supervision, supplies, tools, taxes, transportation, administrative and general expense and other indirect or overhead expenses, less credit, if any, for salvage. The specifying of the measure of damages for the facility or equipment shall not preclude the recovery of such other damages occasioned thereby as may be authorized by law. (Added by Stats. 1976, Ch. 617.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

injures or destroyswant of proper caremunicipal corporationmeasure of damagescost to repair or replacedirect and allocated costsother damages occasioned thereby

Related Statutes

  • § 10001 Municipal Public Utility Definition
  • § 10001.5 Municipal Broadband Compliance
  • § 10002 Municipal Public Utility Authority
  • § 10004 Municipal Utility Land Authority
  • § 10004.5 Municipal Electric Rate Challenges

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Public Utilities Code. Section 10251.
View Official Source