TITLE 7

SPECIAL PROCEEDINGS

CHAPTER 7

EMINENT DOMAIN

7-717.  Possession by plaintiff — Payment of damages — Appointment of commissioners. At any time after trial and judgment entered, or pending an appeal from the judgment to the Supreme Court, whenever the plaintiffs shall have paid into the court for the defendant the full amount of the judgment, and such further sum as shall be required by the court as a fund to pay any further damages and costs that may be recovered in said proceedings, as well as all damages that may be sustained by the defendant, if for any cause the property shall not be finally taken for public use, the district court in which the proceeding was tried may, upon notice of not less than ten (10) days, authorize the plaintiff, if already in possession, to continue therein, and if not, to take possession of and use the property during the conclusion of the litigation, and may, if necessary, stay all actions and proceedings against the plaintiff on account thereof.

The defendant who is entitled to the money paid into court for him upon any judgment, shall be entitled to demand and receive the same at any time thereafter, upon obtaining an order therefor from the court. It shall be the duty of the court, or the judge thereof, upon application being made by such defendant, to order and direct that the money so paid into court for him, be delivered to him upon his filing a satisfaction of the judgment, or upon his filing a receipt therefor, and an abandonment of all defenses to the action or proceeding, except as to the amount of damages that he may be entitled to in the event that a new trial shall be granted. A payment to a defendant as aforesaid shall be held to [be] an abandonment by such defendant of all defenses interposed by him, excepting his claim for greater compensation. The court may order the money to be deposited in the county treasury, and in such case it shall be the duty of the treasurer to receive all such moneys, duly receipt for, and safely keep the same, and to pay out such moneys in such manner, and at such times, as the court or judge thereof may direct, and for such duty he shall be liable to the plaintiff upon his official bond; provided further, that at any time after the commencement of proceedings in the district court, as provided for in this chapter, to condemn property, and upon ten (10) days’ notice to the adverse party, the district court or the judge thereof may appoint three (3) disinterested persons, who shall be residents of the county in which the land is situated, as commissioners to assess and determine the damages that the defendant will sustain by reason of the condemnation and appropriation of the property described in the complaint, and the said commissioners shall, before entering upon the discharge of their duties, take and subscribe an oath to faithfully and impartially discharge their duties as such commissioners. Such commissioners shall, within five (5) days of their appointment, give notice in writing of the time and place where they will meet for the purpose aforesaid, which time shall not be less than five (5) days nor more than ten (10) days from the date of giving said notice, and which place shall be within five (5) miles of the premises aforesaid, unless another time or place is agreed upon by the commissioners and the parties. At the time and place mentioned in such notice they may administer oaths to witnesses, and hear the evidence offered by the parties, and, after viewing the premises, shall report in writing their proceedings and the damages which they find the defendant will sustain by reason of the condemnation and appropriation of said property, which report shall be signed by said commissioners, or a majority thereof, and be filed in the office of the clerk of the district court in which such action shall be pending within ten days of the date of the conclusion of the commissioners’ proceedings unless additional time therefor is granted by the court or judge thereof; and at any time after payment to the defendant of the amount so assessed and found by said commissioners as damages, or in case the defendant shall refuse to receive the same, then at any time after such amount shall be deposited with the clerk of the said court to abide the result of said action, the plaintiff may enter upon, and take possession of and use, the property mentioned in the complaint and do such work thereon as may be required for the easement or title sought according to its nature, until the final conclusion of the litigation concerning the same: provided further, that at the time of making such payment to the defendant of the amount so assessed and found by said commissioners as damages, or in case the defendant shall refuse to receive the same, then at any time after such amount shall be deposited with the clerk of the said court to abide the result of said action, the plaintiff may elect to build the fences, cattle guards and other structures by said commissioners found to be necessary, and may execute to the defendant a bond as provided in Section 7-714.

History:

[(7-717) C.C.P. 1881, sec. 867; R.S., sec. 5226; am. 1888-1889, p. 12; reen. R.C. & C.L., sec. 5226; C.S., sec. 7420; I.C.A., sec. 13-717; am. 1951, ch. 110, sec. 1, p. 256.]