Tenants, Former Homeowners, Squatters, and Their Rights to Utilities

[Jake Kucheck]

Yes I know this forum is mainly for people who want to keep tenants in their properties. However, in this context, I'd like to do the opposite.

The premise of my question is very basic: I've been told that in CA, it is illegal to take control of utilities, and then shut them off to persuade the occupant of a home that you own to leave, regardless of that person's legal claim to the property (the status' that I've mentioned in the subject line). What I want to know however is what law in CA makes this illegal? Not really concerned with anyone's opinion about the ethics of doing this, so please don't respond with regard to that, but if you have the CA criminal or BPC code that is relevant to this action, I'd love to see it.

Hoping Aaron or Will can help out here... it'd certainly be cheaper than continuing to pay my attorney to deal with problematic occupants at a snails pace.