Section 42.20.030 - Civil liability for taking utility service and for damages to or interference with a utility line(a) A person is civilly liable to the utility whose property is damaged in a sum equal to three times the amount of the actual damages sustained and three times the value of the service taken if the person intentionally or in the exercise of gross negligence(1) damages a pole, tree, pipeline, or other object used in a utility line;(2) damages an insulator in use in the line or damages or removes from its insulator any wire used in a utility line;(3) damages the insulation of the line or interrupts the transmission of the service through it or damages the protective wrapping of a water, oil, or gas pipeline;(4) damages property or materials belonging to a utility;(5) interferes with the use of a utility line, or obstructs or postpones the transmission of service over a utility line;(6) procures or advises damage to any utility line;(7) interferes with or alters a meter or other device for the measuring of service from a utility; or(8) without the permission of the utility takes service from the utility or taps a wire or line used for the transmission of service or procures or advises this to be done.(b) A person is civilly liable to the utility whose property is negligently damaged under (a)(1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) of this section in a sum equal to the amount of the damages sustained.