Opinion ID: 2051450
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: AIM's 1982 Appeal.

Text: AIM's second complaint for review pursuant to G.L.c. 152, § 52, challenges the commissioner's November 4, 1982, decision upholding the hearing officer's disapproval of proposed rates filed by the bureau in September, 1981. While the complaint challenges only the November, 1982, affirmance of the October, 1982, disapproval, AIM also seeks review of the commissioner's December 23, 1982, decision. It has filed a motion to amend its complaint to include a challenge to the December, 1982, decision. That December decision, made after a conference of the parties, but without a full public hearing, approved proposed rates refiled by the bureau following the hearing officer's October, 1982, decision. The bureau and the commissioner oppose both AIM's appeal from the October, 1982, decision and its proposed amendment to its complaint. They both filed motions to dismiss AIM's complaint, arguing that AIM has no standing to challenge the commissioner's November, 1982, rate disapproval as it is not a party aggrieved by the disapproval within the meaning of G.L.c. 152, § 52. The bureau also asserts that AIM may not challenge the commissioner's December rate approval as AIM did not file a timely complaint and amending the initial complaint would be improper. While these objections to AIM's complaint for review and motion to amend its complaint may be well taken, we need not address them. Most of the issues raised by AIM in its complaint for review and motion to amend also may be raised by it as an intervener in the bureau's appeal from the commissioner's October, 1982, disapproval decision. See Spence v. Boston Edison Co., 390 Mass. 604, 611-612 (1983). AIM's motion to intervene in the bureau's action was allowed by the single justice. In its motion to amend, AIM raises no additional substantive issues relating solely to the commissioner's December, 1982, approval order which are not considered and dismissed in the context of its challenge to the commissioner's 1979 decision discussed supra. We therefore deny the motion to amend the complaint, as well as the commissioner's and the bureau's motions to dismiss the complaint. We turn next to the bureau's complaint for review of the commissioner's October, 1982, disapproval.