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Record Books: "Docket" for Formal cases

Record Books:
"Order Book" for
orders in pending

proceedings

Record Books:
"Special Orders"

Record Books:
Indices, etc.

Filing papers and issuing certificates

Filing papers-title and case number

Instruments

requiring seal and attestation

employees and allowances of expenses, and all orders pertaining to the organization and administrative work of the Commission, and such other orders as may be directed to be entered in such book by the Commission.

The Secretary shall keep a book entitled the "Docket," in which he shall enter each formal case with a file number which shall correspond to the number of the case.

The Secretary shall keep a book entitled "Order Book," in which shall be entered at large, on the day of their making, all orders made or passed by the Secretary as of course, or by the Commission in any pending proceedings.

The Secretary shall also keep a book designated "Special Orders," in which shall be entered all applications for permission to make effective on less than statutory notice, rates, rules and regulations, and the order of the Commission thereon.

Separate and suitable indices of the foregoing books shall be made and kept by the Secretary.

Rule 4.

Every communication addressed to the Commission, and all pleadings, affidavits, depositions, exhibits, plans and specifications, claims filed, reports of Inspectors and Examiners, proofs of loss, and the orders, judgments and awards of the Commission, or of a Commissioner, or of any head of a Division, Bureau, Committee or Department, or of any officer of the Commission, received or filed in the general offices of the Commission, shall be marked by an indelible stamp showing the date of its arrival at the offices of the Commission.

All complaints, pleadings, dspositions, documents, reports and orders shall show by title the style of the proceedings in which they are filed, and shall be marked with the number of the case or proceeding given it by the Secretary.

All orders, judgments, awards, certificates, and transcripts of the records shall be issued under the seal of the Commission, duly attested by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary.

Rule 5.

Parties to

Contested Cases

Any person, private corporation, or municipality may complain to the Commission by petition in writing on the

Parties Defendant-
Common Carrier
Cases

Parties Defendant-
Receivers and
Trustees

Intervening
Petitioners

form hereinafter prescribed, of anything done or omitted to be done by any public service utility in violation of any provision of The Public Service Commission Law of West Virginia. When the complaint relates to the rates or practices of a single public service utility, no other person or utility need by made a party, but if it relates to the matters in which two or more of such persons or utilities are interested, all such persons or utilities must be made parties defendant.

When a complaint relates to the rates or practices of common carriers operating different lines, all of the companies operating such lines must be made defendants.

When any public service utility is operated by a Receiver or Trustee, both the utility and its Receiver or Trustee shall be made defendants.

Any person interested in obtaining the relief sought by the petition may file an intervening petition in any proceeding, and shall be heard therein. Such intervening petition shall set forth the facts showing the petitioner's interest in the proceeding, and if by proper order leave is granted to such person to intervene and become a party to the proceeding, such party shall be entitled to have notice of and appear at the taking of testimony, to produce and cross examine witnesses, and be heard in person or by attorney on the argument of the case, and shall be liable for costs.

Complaints-what petition must show

Must be typewritten and verified

Service upon defendant utility

Rule 6.

Complaints of unlawful rates, acts or practices, by any public service utility must be by petition, typewritten in substantially the manner set out in form number one, stating briefly the facts claimed to constitute a violation of the law. The name of the public service utility complained against must be stated in full, and the name and address of the complainant, with the name and address of his attorney or counsel, if any, must appear upon the complaint. All formal complaints must be sworn to by the complainant or his agent, and signed by his attorney, if he appears by attorney. The complainant shall file with his formal complaint two extra copies thereof.

The Commission will cause a copy of such complaint, together with notice of investigation and an order upon the public service utility complained against, to satisfy or answer the complainant in a specified time, to be served upon the defendant personally or by registered mail, in its discretion.

Rule 7.

Answers-time in

which to file

Must be typewritten and verified

Service on complainant

Must set out what

Answers of satisfaction-filing of

Investigations on Commission's own motion, notice and

answer

Supplemental
Pleadings

Further statements of the case

Within ten days from the date of service of the notice above provided for, the public service utility complained against must file with the Commission its typewritten answer duly verified. The time for answering in any case may be lessened or extended by the Commission for good cause. The original answer and two copies thereof must be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, at its office in the city of Charleston, and at the same time a copy thereof shall be served personally or by registered mail upon the complainant by the defendant, and the Secretary of the Commission notified forthwith of such service. The answer should specifically admit or deny the material allegations of the petition, and also set forth the facts which will be relied upon to support the denial. If the defendant public service utility shall make satisfaction before answering and shall have obtained from the complainant an acknowledgment thereof in writing, showing the character and extent of the satisfaction given, the said answer may in that case, set out the facts and manner of satisfaction without any other matter. If satisfaction be made after the filing and service of the answer, such written acknowledgement must thereafter be filed by the complainant with the Secretary, and a supplemental answer setting forth the fact and manner of satisfaction may thereupon be filed with the Commission by the defendant.

In case of investigation on motion of the Commission, the notice of investigation will take the place of a complaint in such proceedings. The answer of the public service utility complained of shall, in such case, be filed in the office of the Secretary of the Commission.

Rule 8.

Technical forms and allegations in pleadings are not required to be observed in complaints, answers, or other papers, and amendments or supplemental statements may be made and filed at any time, upon such terms as may be just.

A further and better statement of any cause or grounds of complaint or defense, or further and better particulars of any matter stated in any pleading, may in any case, be ordered, upon such terms as may be just.

Complaint for self and others. Exparte affidavits of persons electing to join in the case

Parties interested may join by intervening petitions

Complaints and answers verification

of.

Revival of

cases

Interrogatories and answers-time for filing

Notice to submit upon complaint only

Where the complainant petitions for himself and in behalf of all others in like situation with himself, who may elect to join therein, it shall be proper to file with the complaint exparte affidavits of all such persons as may desire to join in that proceeding, and no notice of such filing, nor copy of such affidavits, need be served upon the defendant.

All persons having an interest in the subject matter of the complaint or in obtaining the relief demanded may join by intervening petition as complainants, and any person may be made a defendant who has or claims a right or interest adverse to the complainant.

Every complaint, answer or other pleading in any case setting up a statement of facts must be sworn to.

In the event of the death of either party, the Commission may, upon motion, order the case to be revived in the name of the personal representatives of the deceased party, or may substitute any other person who may apply, on motion, for the same relief, and thereupon the case shall proceed to final order and judgment.

Rule 9.

Either party may file with his complaint or answer, interrogatories in writing, to be answered under oath by the adverse party, for the discovery of facts and documents material in support of or defense against said complaint, and if either party be a corporation, an order may be made requiring such interrogatories to be answered under oath by any named officer of such corporation. But no order will be made requiring such interrogatories to be answered unless the same shall be accompanied by oath or affirmation of the party filing same, his agent or attorney, to the effect that he believes the answers to said interrogatories will be material about the defense or prosecution of his case. All interrogatories shall be answered and the answers filed within ten days after such order shall have been made and served upon the adverse party, or within such specified time as may be fixed by the Commission or a member thereof in such order.

Rule 10.

A public service utility complained against which deems the petition or complaint insufficient to show a breach of legal duty, may, instead of answering or formally demurring, serve on the complainant notice of hearing on the petition, and in such case the facts stated in the petition

will be deemed admitted to be true by the defendant utility, and copy of the notice must at the same time be filed with the Secretary of the Commission. The filing of an answer, however, will not be held to be an admission of the sufficiency of the complaint so as to preclude a motion to dismiss the complaint for insufficiency when made at the hearing

Agreed statement of facts

Hearings on complaints at General Sessions

Failure to answer

Arguments

Briefs-time in which to file. Number of copies

Rule 11.

The parties to any proceeding or investigation before the Commission, may, by stipulation in writing, filed with the Secretary, agree upon the facts or any portion thereof involved in the controversy, which stipulation shali be regarded and used as evidence on the hearing. It is the desire of the Commission that, whenever practicable, the parties shall agree upon the facts in all cases.

Rule 12.

When issue is joined by the service of an answer or notice of hearing on the complainant, the Commission will set a time and place for hearing the case, which will be at its offices in the City of Charleston, unless otherwise ordered. Witnesses may be examined orally before the Commission, and when so examined their testimony shall be reduced to writing and filed as a part of the record of the case. The complainants must in all cases, establish the facts alleged to constitute a violation of the law, unless the public service utility complained against admits the same or fails to answer the petition. The defandant must also prove the facts alleged in the answer, unless admitted by the compalinant, and must fully disclose his defense at the hearing.

In case of failure to answer, the Commission will take such proof of the facts it may deem proper and reasonable, and may make such order thereon as the circumstances of the case may require.

Cases may be argued orally upon submission after hearing of the testimony, but oral argument may be limited or omitted, in the discretion of the Commission.

Rule 13.

In all contested hearings printed or tpyewritten briefs may be filed on behalf of any or all parties interested; same to be filed with the Commission, and copies delivered to the adverse party or parties. Complainant to have twenty

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