Opinion ID: 2116768
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: requirement to find wcl's terms unreasonable

Text: [5] WCL claims that the commission abused its discretion by prescribing its own terms and conditions for the crossing without first finding that the terms in WCL's standard license agreement were inequitable and unreasonable. We reject this argument on two grounds. First, from the language of the statute, the commission may set the terms of the crossing: (1) if the parties cannot agree on terms; (2) public convenience and necessity require the extension of the utility's lines under the railroad's tracks; and (3) the extension of the lines will not materially impair the railroad's ability to serve the public. Nowhere does the statute require that the commission find that the licensor's proposed terms are unreasonable before prescribing its own terms. Second, in enacting other statutes, the legislature has authorized the commission to act only after it finds the entity has acted unreasonably. See sec. 196.37(1) and (2), Stats. (circumstances under which the commission shall prescribe rates and services to be provided). The absence of a comparable provision in sec. 196.04(4), Stats., indicates that the legislature did not intend that the commission first find a party's proposed terms inequitable and unreasonable. [6] WCL also argues that the commission did not give it adequate notice of the issues to be heard. The notice of the commission's hearing stated that one of the designated issues was the reasonableness of WCL's terms. By failing to first make a specific finding on WCL's terms, the commission allegedly deprived WCL of its right to be apprised of the issues involved in the case and to be heard on those issues. The argument fails because WCL has not made any showing that it would have conducted the case differently or that it was prejudiced by the hearing notice.