Sec. 16. (a) Within one (1) year after the expiration of:

(1) the one (1) year period for implementation of planned services of a noncapital nature under section 13(d)(4) of this chapter; or

(2) the three (3) year period for the implementation of planned services of a capital improvement nature under section 13(d)(5) of this chapter;

any person who pays taxes on property located within the annexed territory may file a complaint alleging injury resulting from the failure of the municipality to implement the plan. The complaint must name the municipality as defendant and shall be filed with the circuit or superior court of the county in which the annexed territory is located.

(b) The court shall hear the case within sixty (60) days without a jury. In order to be granted relief, the plaintiff must establish one (1) of the following:

(1) That the municipality has without justification failed to implement the plan required by section 13 of this chapter within the specific time limit for implementation after annexation.

(2) That the municipality has not provided police protection, fire protection, sanitary sewers, and water for human consumption within the specific time limit for implementation, unless one (1) of these services is being provided by a separate taxing district or by a privately owned public utility.

(3) That the annexed territory is not receiving governmental and proprietary services substantially equivalent in standard and scope to the services provided by the municipality to other areas of the municipality, regardless of topography, patterns of land use, and population density similar to the annexed territory.

(c) The court may:

(1) grant an injunction prohibiting the collection of taxes levied by the municipality on the plaintiff's property located in the annexed territory;

(2) award damages to the plaintiff not to exceed one and one-fourth (1 1/4) times the taxes collected by the municipality for the plaintiff's property located in the annexed territory;

(3) order the annexed territory or any part of it to be disannexed from the municipality;

(4) order the municipality to submit a revised fiscal plan for providing the services to the annexed territory within time limits set up by the court; or

(5) grant any other appropriate relief.

(d) A change of venue from the county is not permitted for an action brought under this section.

(e) If the court finds for the plaintiff, the defendant shall pay all court costs and reasonable attorney's fees as approved by the court.

(f) The provisions of this chapter that apply to territory disannexed by other procedures apply to territory disannexed under this section.

[Pre-Local Government Recodification Citation: 18-5-10-32.5.]

As added by Acts 1980, P.L.212, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.1-1991, SEC.208; P.L.255-1997(ss), SEC.14; P.L.217-1999, SEC.8; P.L.173-2003, SEC.25.