Court Opinion

ID: 9560824
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 17:56:59.050799+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:13:14.299529
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing SHILLINGLAW, Justice. The appellants, in their motion for rehearing, raise points which we do not deem controlling. However, in the brief in support of the motion one point is argued which we feel requires clarification. It will be noted that the State Engineer in his order of November 29, 1956, declaring the Rio Grande Underground Water Basin further ordered that: “Any person wishing to drill, deepen, repair, or clean one or more water wells * * * shall first obtain a water well drillers license from the State Engineer.” The charge against the appellant Myers was that he “did permit the drilling, deepening, repairing or cleaning of a well * * by a person other than a licensed driller.” The charge against the appellant Hoard was that he did “drill, deepen, repair or clean * * * a well * * * without having a valid license.” The parties in the court below stipulated that the defendant Myers employed the defendant Hoard to clean, deepen and repair the well located upon the land of the defendant Myers. The court below in its decision recited the charge against the appellant Myers to be “illegal drilling of a well,” and the charge against the appellant Hoard to be “drilling of a well without a license.” The theory on which the case was tried was that deepening a well constituted drilling a well. Nowhere in the court below or in the brief on the appeal was it argued that the appellants’ acts were not within the statutes Sections 75-11-13 and 75-11-16, N.M.S.A. Our opinion is to be construed in that light. We are not deciding that the State Engineer has the authority to require a permit for the cleaning or repairing of a well, as that phase of his authority is not before us on this appeal. Our holding in the original opinion is .affirmed and the motion for rehearing will be denied. LUJAN, C. J., and SADLER,; McGHEE and COMPTON, JJ., concur.