Opinion ID: 1254860
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Remaining Issues on Appeal and Cross-Appeal.

Text: Because we dismiss the Public Advocate's complaint, we need not address the remainder of SourceGas' assignments of error. Nor do we need to reach the Commission's cross-appeal. In its cross-appeal, the Public Advocate contends that the district court erred in concluding that its complaint was a collateral attack as to the interim rates. The interim rates in this case were implemented on a nonprorated basis on September 1, 2006. The final settlement in the rate case was reached on November 28, nearly 3 months after the interim rate implementation. Given that the rates had been implemented for several months prior to the settlement and the approval of that settlement, we determine, in conformity with the above analysis, that the Public Advocate should have known that the interim rates were not implemented on a prorated basis. Because the Public Advocate should have known this, we conclude that the complaint as to the interim rates was also an impermissible collateral attack and should also be dismissed. We therefore affirm the district court's dismissal of the Public Advocate's complaint with respect to the interim rates.