385.213—Answers (Rule 213).
(a) Required or permitted.
(1)
Any respondent to a complaint or order to show cause must make an answer, unless the Commission orders otherwise.
(2)
An answer may not be made to a protest, an answer, a motion for oral argument, or a request for rehearing, unless otherwise ordered by the decisional authority. A presiding officer may prohibit an answer to a motion for interlocutory appeal. If an answer is not otherwise permitted under this paragraph, no responsive pleading may be made.
(3)
An answer may be made to any pleading, if not prohibited under paragraph (a)(2) of this section.
(4)
An answer to a notice of tariff or rate examination must be made in accordance with the provisions of such notice.
(b) Written or oral answers.
Any answer must be in writing, except that the presiding officer may permit an oral answer to a motion made on the record during a hearing conducted under subpart E or during a conference.
(2)
When an answer is made in response to a complaint, an order to show cause, or an amendment to such pleading, the answerer must, to the extent practicable:
(i)
Admit or deny, specifically and in detail, each material allegation of the pleading answered; and
(3)
General denials of facts referred to in any order to show cause, unsupported by the specific facts upon which the respondent relies, do not comply with paragraph (a)(1) of this section and may be a basis for summary disposition under Rule 217, unless otherwise required by statute.
(4)
An answer to a complaint must include documents that support the facts in the answer in possession of, or otherwise attainable by, the respondent, including, but not limited to, contracts and affidavits. An answer is also required to describe the formal or consensual process it proposes for resolving the complaint.
(5)
(i)
A respondent must submit with its answer any request for privileged treatment of documents and information under § 388.112 of this chapter and a proposed form of protective agreement. In the event the respondent requests privileged treatment under § 388.112 of this chapter, it must file the original and three copies of its answer with the information for which privileged treatment is sought and 11 copies of the pleading without the information for which privileged treatment is sought. The original and three copies must be clearly identified as containing information for which privileged treatment is sought.
(ii)
A respondent must provide a copy of its answer without the privileged information and its proposed form of protective agreement to each entity that has either been served pursuant to § 385.206 (c) or whose name is on the official service list for the proceeding compiled by the Secretary.
(iii)
The complainant and any interested person who has filed a motion to intervene may make a written request to the respondent for a copy of the complete answer. The request must include an executed copy of the protective agreement and, for persons other than the complainant, a copy of the motion to intervene. Any person may file an objection to the proposed form of protective agreement.
(iv)
A respondent must provide a copy of the complete answer to the requesting person within 5 days after receipt of the written request and an executed copy of the protective agreement.
(d) Time limitations.
(1)
Any answer to a motion or to an amendment to a motion must be made within 15 days after the motion or amendment is filed, unless otherwise ordered.
(2)
Any answer to a pleading or amendment to a pleading, other than a complaint or an answer to a motion under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, must be made:
(i)
If notice of the pleading or amendment is published in the Federal Register, not later than 30 days after such publication, unless otherwise ordered; or
(ii)
If notice of the pleading or amendment is not published in the Federal Register, not later than 30 days after the filing of the pleading or amendment, unless otherwise ordered.
(e) Failure to answer.
(1)
Any person failing to answer a complaint may be considered in default, and all relevant facts stated in such complaint may be deemed admitted.
(2)
Failure to answer an order to show cause will be treated as a general denial to which paragraph (c)(3) of this section applies.