2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 19. Agriculture › Article 21. Drainage Districts › §19-21-34. Petition to Amend Former Decree; Notice; Objections to Amendments; Hearing by Court; Appointment and Duties of Appraisers

The board of supervisors for and in behalf of any drainage district organized under the provisions of this article, or the owners of land adjacent to such district, shall have the right to file a petition in the office of the clerk of the court organizing the district praying the court to amend its former decree incorporating the district, by correcting the names of landowners, by striking out any such names, by adding, striking out and correcting the descriptions of any lands within or alleged to be within the boundary lines of any such district, or in any other manner amend its decree. Such petition may ask permission of the court for such board to amend or change "the plan for reclamation," or to correct any errors, omissions or other mistakes that have been discovered in "the plan for reclamation"; or may ask that the boundary lines of such district be extended so as to include lands described by and included in the petition and the decree of the court incorporating the district. If such petition asks the court for permission to change "the plan for reclamation" or that the boundary lines of such district be in any manner changed, it shall also ask the court to appoint three appraisers as provided for under the provisions of section twelve to appraise the land that shall be taken for rights-of-way or other works, or assess the benefits and damages to any or all lands and other property already in the district or that may be annexed to the district by the proposed amendments and changes in "the plan for reclamation" or the proposed change in the boundary lines of said district. As soon as such petition shall have been filed the clerk of the court shall give notice for the time required by section four of this article, such notice to be substantially in the following form:
NOTICE OF DRAINAGE HEARING
To the owners and all persons interested in the lands, corporate and other property in and adjacent to ______ _______________ drainage district:
You and each of you are hereby notified that (here state by whom petition was filed) has filed in the office of the circuit clerk of __________________ county, _______________, a petition praying such court for permission to (here insert the prayer of such petition), and unless you show cause to the contrary on or before the first day of a term of the circuit court of _______________ county to be held on the _________ day of _________________, 19 ____, the prayer of such petition may be granted.
_____________________________ clerk of the circuit court of _____________________ county.
Any owner of land or other property located in the district, or any owner of land or property located outside of the district, who will be affected by the proposed changes, amendments and corrections enumerated in the petition, shall have the right to file objections to the granting of the prayer of such petition on or before the first day of the term of the court at which the petition is to be heard. The court shall hear such petition and all objections that may have been filed against such petition in a summary manner and enter its decree according to its findings. The clerk of such court shall, within fifteen days after granting of such decree, transmit a certified copy of such decree and a copy of the petition to the secretary of the board of supervisors, who shall transmit a copy of the same to the clerk of the county court of each county having land in the district. Each such county clerk shall file and preserve the same in his office. If such decree provides that "the plan for reclamation" may be amended, changed or corrected, or the boundary lines of the district extended, the court shall appoint three appraisers having the same qualifications as the appraisers appointed under the provisions of section twelve of this article, to appraise property to be taken, assess benefits and damages and estimate the cost of improvements the same as is required of appraisers acting under the provisions of section fourteen of this article. Such appraisers shall make their report in writing and file the same with the circuit clerk, after which the case shall be proceeded with in the same manner as is now provided for in the previous sections of this article for the organization of drainage districts: Provided, That if the petition be dismissed, the petitioner shall pay the cost, but if the petition be sustained in whole or in part the objectors shall pay the court costs.