Whenever the commission is of the opinion that any person or public utility is failing or omitting or about to fail or omit to do anything required of it by the Public Utility Act [Articles 1 through 6 and 8 through 13 of Chapter 62 NMSA 1978] or by any order of the commission or is doing or about to do anything or permitting or about to permit anything to be done contrary to or in violation of that act or of any order of the commission, it may commence an action or proceeding in the district court for the county of Santa Fe, or in the district court of the county in which the complaint or controversy arose, in the name of the state of New Mexico for the purpose of having the violations or threatened violations stopped and prevented either by mandamus or injunction. The commission shall begin an action or proceeding by petition to the court alleging the violation or threatened violation complained of and praying for appropriate relief by way of mandamus or injunction. It is the duty of the court to specify a time, not exceeding thirty days after the service of the copy of the petition, within which the public utility or person complained of must plead, and in the meantime the public utility or person may for good cause shown be restrained. In case of default, the court shall immediately inquire into the facts and circumstances of the case. Such persons as the court deems necessary or proper to be joined as parties, in order to make its judgment, order or writ effective, may be joined as parties. The final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall either dismiss the action or proceeding or direct that the writ of mandamus or injunction issue or be made permanent as prayed for in the petition or in such modified or other form as will afford appropriate relief. An appeal may be taken as in other civil actions.

History: Laws 1941, ch. 84, § 73; 1941 Comp., § 72-1001; 1953 Comp., § 68-10-1; 1978 Comp., § 62-12-1; 2026, ch. 64, § 2.

ANNOTATIONS

Compiler's notes. — Sections 62-12-1 to 62-12-7 of the Public Utility Act are still effective as the repeal of Chapter 62, Article 12 by Laws 1998, Chapter 108, Section 82, effective July 1, 2003 Chapter 108, Section 82 was repealed prior to taking effect by Chapter 23, Section 1, Laws 2003. Although Laws 2003, Chapter 336, Section 8, amended Laws 1998, Chapter 82, as amended, an amendment of a repealed section is ineffective. See Quintana v. N.M. Dep’t of Corrs., 100 N.M. 224, 668 P.2d 1101 (1983). Laws 2003, Chapter 416, Section 5 also repealed Laws 1998, Chapter 108, Section 82, as amended, a second time, however, that repeal is of no effect as the section had previously been repealed by Chapter 23, Section 1, Laws 2003.

Cross references. — For mandamus, see 44-2-1 to 44-2-14 NMSA 1978.

For injunctions, see Rules 1-065 and 1-066 NMRA.

For the Rules of Appellate Procedure, see Rule 12-101 NMRA et seq.

The 2026 amendment, effective May 20, 2026, granted the public regulation commission the authority to commence a mandamus or injunction action; after "it may" deleted "direct the attorney general of New Mexico to", and after "The" deleted "attorney general of New Mexico" and added "commission".

Law reviews. — For note, "The Public Service Commission: A Legal Analysis of an Administrative System," see 3 N.M.L. Rev. 184 (1973).

For note, "On Building Better Laws for New Mexico's Environment," see 4 N.M.L. Rev. 105 (1973).

For article, "Cost of Service Indexing: An Analysis of New Mexico's Experiment in Public Utility Regulation," see 9 N.M.L. Rev. 287 (1979).

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 52 Am. Jur. 2d Mandamus §§ 108 to 110; 64 Am. Jur. 2d Public Utilities §§ 30, 275, 277, 278.

Joinder or representation of several claimants in action to recover overcharge, 1 A.L.R.2d 160.

Adequacy, as regards right to injunction, of other remedy for review of order fixing utility rates, 8 A.L.R.2d 839.

Propriety of injunctive relief against diversion of water by municipal corporation or public utility, 42 A.L.R.3d 426.

73B C.J.S. Public Utilities § 59.