Effective 28 Aug 1986

241.270. Landowners may protest, when — proceedings. — 1. If the owners of any lands through which any ditch or levee is proposed to be made or cut, by virtue of any of the provisions of sections 241.010 to 241.280, shall notify the drainage and reclamation commissioners that he objects to the making of such levee or cutting such ditch, such commissioners shall apply to an associate circuit judge of the county in which such land may be situated for a summons for a jury to inquire into the damages such owner may sustain by the making of such levee or the cutting of such ditch, or both; and it shall be the duty of such associate circuit judge to issue a summons, under his hand, to the sheriff of said county, commanding him to summon a jury of eighteen good and lawful persons, to meet at a time and place, upon such land, to be specified in the summons, at the time and place specified; such drainage and reclamation commissioners and the owner of such land shall proceed to select a jury of twelve persons out of the number thus summoned, and the associate circuit judge shall administer an oath to them to faithfully and impartially inquire into the amount of damages the owner of such land will sustain by reason of the making of such levee or ditch, and the jury shall render their verdict in writing, and shall specify therein the amount of damages they assess.

2. The selection of such jury, and the trial in such case, shall be conducted in the same manner that other civil cases are tried and conducted in the associate divisions of the circuit courts, and the associate circuit judge shall make an entry on his docket of the verdict of the jury and other proceedings in such case.

3. A transcript of such proceedings shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the county commission, and if the county commission shall be of opinion that it is best to pay such damages, such county commission shall issue a warrant on the county treasury, in favor of the party entitled thereto, for the amount of damages assessed, as aforesaid, and also a warrant in favor of the officers for the fees to which they may be entitled in any such case, which amount shall be paid out of any money in the treasury arising from the sale of land by virtue of sections 241.010 to 241.280, and not otherwise appropriated, and shall be paid by the treasurer to the parties entitled to the same, from whom he shall take, and file in his office, a receipt for such payment; and when such damages are paid, or tendered in money and refused, such ditch or levee may be made, and the owner of such land shall be forever barred from maintaining any action for the making such levee or the cutting such ditch; and if such money is tendered, and the parties entitled thereto shall refuse to accept the same, such money shall remain in the county treasury, subject to the order of the parties thereto entitled; provided, however, that should such jury fail or refuse to find any damages, such complainant shall pay all costs necessarily incurred in the proceedings; provided, that the complainant may have an appeal according to law.

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(RSMo 1939 § 12759, A.L. 1945 p. 1110, A.L. 1986 H.B. 1554 Revision)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 11135; 1919 § 6999; 1909 § 8002