Opinion ID: 1857859
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Granting Medco leave to amend its petition for judicial review.

Text: Value contends the district court erred in allowing Medco to amend its petition for judicial review, pointing out a lack of express authority in the IAPA for the district court to do so. Value thus argues it would be improper for us to consider allegations not contained in Medco's original petition. In ordinary civil proceedings a district court may grant a party leave to amend a pleading; indeed leave to amend shall be freely given when justice so requires. Iowa R.Civ.P. 88. The rules of civil procedure are applicable to proceedings for judicial review of agency action so long as they do not conflict with a particular provision of the IAPA. Iowa R.Civ.P. 331. The pleading requirements for a judicial review petition are spelled out in Code section 17A.19(4). Value concedes this section does not address whether it is permissible to amend such a petition, so, unless something else in the IAPA renders it inconsistent, Rule 88 applies. We find no such other provision in the chapter. Indeed we find evidence of consistency. As we have already explained, Code section 17A.19(7) affords a court discretion to receive and consider additional evidence when reviewing other agency action. In such instances the situation becomes analogous to an original action, where the issues may develop and change in the course of presenting evidence and making proof. See Kohorst v. Iowa State Commerce Comm'n, 348 N.W.2d 619, 621 (Iowa 1984) (finding the converse true in judicial review of contested cases because additional evidence may not be considered by the district court on appeal). This analogy suggests Iowa rule of civil procedure 88 is consistent with the IAPA. The fact that we have found it proper to grant a motion for a more particularized statement strengthens this suggestion. See id. To allow respondents to request a more specific statement but at the same time prohibit petitioners from amending their petitions would be illogical and inconsistent. We therefore hold a district court may grant a party on judicial review (other than in a contested case) leave to amend the pleadings, and we also find the district court here did not abuse its discretion in granting Medco's application.