Sec. 15. If a carrier fails to provide the equipment, motive power, and other facilities necessary to properly receive and care for the business on their lines, as required by this chapter, or fails to perform the duties enjoined upon it by this chapter, and because of the failure considerable traffic on its line is refused or not promptly moved as required by this chapter, resulting in material injury to the citizens of a community in Indiana, or the industries or commerce of Indiana, then the Indiana department of transportation, after five (5) days notice to the carrier interested and a hearing, shall adopt temporary emergency rates, establish temporary emergency routes of shipment, and adopt temporary emergency rules concerning the movement of traffic as are necessary to correct the existing conditions and may issue orders suspending certain traffic in favor of other traffics for the purpose of preventing existing or threatened public calamity or distress. The carrier shall promptly comply with all orders of the department, and, upon its failure so to do, the department shall apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of an operating receiver to enforce the orders and rules adopted by the department and may also apply to a court for the appointment of a receiver for a carrier to enforce a provision or requirement of this chapter which the offending carrier has failed to observe. In the proceeding, the court may operate a carrier through its receiver, enforce orders made by the department concerning the carrier as approved by the court, and continue so to do so long as is necessary. The court may order its receiver to purchase the equipment and motive power, and supply other appliances and facilities as may be necessary to properly transact the carrier’s present and prospective business in Indiana as required by this chapter. The court may authorize its receiver to issue and sell receiver’s certificates for the purpose of obtaining funds for the uses specified in this chapter or to issue certificates of indebtedness to pay for expenditures authorized by this chapter. The court may declare certificates authorized under this chapter to be the first and prior lien upon the property and income of the carrier in the manner and upon the terms as the court shall decree.

Formerly: Acts 1907, c.231, s.15. As amended by P.L.62-1984, SEC.25; P.L.384-1987(ss), SEC.40; P.L.18-1990, SEC.48.