Effective 28 Aug 1939

233.355. Protests and objections to be considered by the county commission — order of the county commission. — 1. Anyone owning land within one-half mile of such public road or part of public road may, at any time before the day the county commission, as stated in such notice, is to consider protests, objections and exceptions, file with the clerk of the county commission written protest against the improvements of said public road or part of public road. Such protest shall be signed by the party protesting, and describe the land owned by him that is within such district and within one-half mile of said public road or part of public road, and the number of acres thereof; and anyone interested in land in the district may show any reason there may be why such public road or part of public road cannot be so improved and the cost thereof charged against the lands in the district.

2. The county commission on said day, or as soon thereafter as the business of the county commission will permit, shall consider said petition and any such protests as may have been so filed to improving such public road or part of public road; and any reason that may be shown why such public road or part of public road cannot be so improved and the cost thereof charged against the lands in the district. Such petition shall be prima facie evidence of the allegations contained therein.

3. If any protests have been so filed and the county commission finds after a hearing that such protests have been so filed by owners of a majority of the acres of land owned by residents of the county residing within the district that is within one-half mile of said public road or part of road; or if sufficient reason should be shown to the county commission why such public road or part of road cannot be so improved and the cost thereof charged against the lands in the district, it shall dismiss said petition. But if the county commission finds that such protests have not been so filed by the owners of a majority of the acres of land owned by residents of the county residing within the district within one-half mile of said public road or part of a public road, and fails to find that sufficient reason has been shown why such public road cannot be so improved and the cost thereof charged against the lands in the district, and the county commission finds that such public road or part of a public road has been lawfully established as such and that the clerk of the county commission gave notice as required by sections 233.320 to 233.445 of the filing with him of said petition, plans, specifications and estimate, and list of the lands in the district, the county commission shall consider said list of lands, and hear and consider any objection and exceptions that may be made thereto or to any valuations therein indicated. Such hearing may be continued from time to time as the ends of justice may require.

4. After consideration of all such objections and exceptions, if any, and hearing such evidence as may be offered, the county commission shall make any alterations and corrections in the list of lands and in the valuations fixed by the commissioners on any lands in the district, or fix such valuations on the lands in the district as it may deem proper, and shall thereupon approve such list of lands, and order the clerk of the county commission to annex to said list of lands a certificate of such approval; and the county commission shall ascertain and declare the estimated cost of such improvement as appearing by the estimate prepared or approved by the state highway engineer, the cost and expense incurred by the commissioners in the preparations of such plans, specifications, estimate, map and profile, and said list of lands, and a reasonable attorney's fee for such petitioners, and the probable working, administrative and incidental expenses that may be incurred in so improving said public road or part of a public road, and procuring, collecting, and paying the cost thereof, and shall order that a special tax for the aggregate amount thereof, plus ten percent of said aggregate amount for emergencies, be assessed against the lands in the district, and that such public road or part of public road be improved in accordance with the plans and specifications so filed with the clerk of the county commission, and the commission shall ascertain and state in such order the number of installments stated in such petition in which the petitioners desire that the cost of such improvement be payable.

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(RSMo 1939 § 8845)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 8185; 1919 § 10946