244.020. Disagreement on drainage methods — petition circuit court.

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244.020. Disagreement on drainage methods — petition circuit court. — 1. When the owner or owners of the land to be drained or protected and the owner or owners of the land through or across which such improvements are to be built or constructed fail to agree as to the location of the ditch, tile or levee or as to the value of land, if any, to be used, or the amount of damages, if any, that will result from constructing the improvements, the owner or owners of the land desired to be drained or protected shall have the right to file with the circuit clerk their petition, which shall state the method of drainage or protection desired, the name or names of the owner or owners of the land to be drained or protected with a description of the land owned by each, and the name or names of the owner or owners of the land through or upon which such drain or levee must pass, with a description of land owned by each, and that the owners are unable to agree as to the best method to adopt for the drainage or protection of the swamp, wet, flat or overflowed land, the value of the land, if any, to be used for any ditch, tile or levee, or the amount of damages, if any, that should be paid the owner or owners of the land through or upon which the proposed improvements must be constructed.

Said petition shall pray the circuit court that commissioners be appointed to consider any and all matters not agreed upon by the landowners and to make a report and recommendations for the adjustment of such disagreements.

2. A rough plat of all land that will in any way be affected by the proposed improvements and indicating the approximate location and course of the ditch, tile or levee, shall be filed with said petition, but such plat need not be made by an engineer; provided, that before any such owner or owners shall have the right to file any such petition he or they shall first tender in writing to the owner or owners of the land through or upon which such ditch, tile or levee is to be constructed, a sum of money equal to the amount of the value of the land, if any, that will be used in constructing the ditch, tile or levee, plus the damages, if any, that will accrue to the land and the cost of the crossings, if any are needed, which said amount, in the estimation of the owner or owners of the land to be drained or protected, seems just compensation for the total cost of such items, and the fact of said tender having been made and the amount of the same shall be stated in the foregoing petition.

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(RSMo 1939 § 12456, A.L. 1945 p. 852)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 10866; 1919 § 4561; 1909 § 5665