Wyoming · 41 · statute
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The publisher does not state since when this version applies. Read on 2026-11-07.
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Personal service of said notice on (or service by leaving at the last usual place of abode of) all owners of lands or easements or interest in lands within said district, shall give the court complete jurisdiction, without posting, publication or mailing of said notice.
Propose a changeIf it shall be found, before the hearing on a petition for the organization of a drainage district, that one (1) or more owners of land in said district have not been duly served with notice of hearing on said petition, the court, or presiding judge, shall not thereby lose jurisdiction. The court, or presiding judge, in such case shall adjourn the hearing, make an order directing the serving of said notice upon said landowner, and fixing the time and manner of service of such notice, which notice shall notify him to appear at said adjourned time and place and be heard on said petition.
Propose a changeSaid notice shall be served personally or by leaving at the last usual place of abode of said unserved owners, as in W.S. 41-9-104; provided, not less than eight (8) days before said adjourned hearing, or published not less than fourteen (14) days before said adjourned hearing, in some newspaper published in the county in which said owners' lands lie, or if no newspaper be published in said county, then in some newspaper published in an adjoining county.
Propose a changeUpon the adjourned day the same proceedings, adjournments, trial findings and orders may be had as in case of complete service of notice in the first instance. In case of failure to mail said notice as herein required, the court or judge may order the same mailed later and shall adjourn said hearing so that said notice shall be mailed at least fourteen (14) days before said adjourned hearing. In case of failure to publish or post notice, as in this act required, the court or judge may adjourn said hearing for sufficient time to permit the due posting and publication of said notice, and order said notice posted or published as in W.S. 41-9-104 hereof directed. In case of adjournment to permit notice to be given the notice shall state the fact of such adjournment and the time and place of hearing pursuant to said adjournment.
Propose a changeOn the day fixed for hearing on such petition all parties owning lands, or any interest or easement in land, within said proposed district, or who would be affected thereby, may appear and contest (a) the sufficiency of the petition, (b) the sufficiency of the signers of the petition, (c) the sufficiency of the notice, (d) the constitutionality of the law, and (e) the jurisdiction of the court, specifying their objections to such jurisdiction; and the petitioners and contestants may, on the trial, offer any competent evidence in regard thereto. All notices of contest shall be in writing and shall clearly specify the grounds of contest.
Propose a changeThe court shall hear and determine whether or not the petition contains the signatures of a majority of the adult owners of lands within the said proposed district who are of lawful age, and who represent one-third in area of the lands proposed to be affected by said work, or the signatures of the adult owners of more than one-half of such lands and shall determine all questions of law arising on said contest. The district court in which such petition shall be filed or the judge thereof may adjourn the hearing on said petition from time to time for want of sufficient notice, or to give time to prepare for trial, or for other good cause.
Propose a changeThe affidavit of any three (3) or more of the signers of said petition stating that they have examined it and are acquainted with the locality of said district and that said petition is signed by a sufficient number of adult owners of lands in said district, to satisfy W.S. 41-9-101, may be taken by the court or judge as prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated. And the affidavit of any petitioner or other landowner before such court, or represented before the court, giving the age of such affiant and his or her ownership of such lands, to be named therein by proper description, shall be sufficient evidence to the court of such facts.
Propose a changeIf the court or presiding judge thereof, after hearing any and all competent evidence that may be offered for and against the said petition, shall find that the same has not been signed as herein required, the said petition shall be dismissed at the cost of the petitioners, and judgment shall be entered against said petitioners for the amount of said costs.
Propose a changeAll deeds made for the purpose of establishing or defeating the prayer of said petition, and not made in good faith and for a valuable consideration, shall be taken and held to be a fraud and the holders thereof shall not be considered as the owners of the land described therein.
Propose a changepreliminary bond; qualifications; petition for election; election decree; election procedures; modification of decree. If it shall appear that the petition has so been signed, the court or judge shall so find, and order any necessary amendments thereto, and shall appoint three (3) suitable, competent persons as commissioners, and fix their preliminary bond. If the district is situated in two (2) or more counties, not more than two (2) of said commissioners shall reside in any one (1) of said counties. Ownership of land within the district shall not disqualify a person from acting as a commissioner. Provided, however, after the appointment of the first board of commissioners a majority of the owners of land within said district who own one-third in area of the lands within said district, shall petition the court asking that the commissioners of said district be elected by vote of the owners of land assessed in said district, the court shall make and enter an order fixing the time of the annual election for said district, prescribing the manner of giving notice of such election, and the manner in which such election shall be conducted, and may provide for cumulative voting; said order may provide for the election of one (1) commissioner for one (1) year and two (2) commissioners for two (2) years at the first election, succeeding commissioners to be elected for two (2) years; at such election every person, company or corporation owning land assessed for benefits within such district shall be entitled at such election to cast one (1) vote for each acre of land, or fraction thereof, owned by such person, company or corporation within said district and assessed for benefits therein; such order shall provide for voting by proxy, and such order may be modified from time to time upon petition as herein provided for the election of commissioners, and upon like petition such order may be revoked and thereafter such commissioners shall be appointed by the court.
Propose a changeBefore entering upon their duties such commissioners shall take and subscribe an oath to support the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Wyoming, to faithfully and impartially discharge their duties as such commissioners and to render a true account of their doings to the court by which they are appointed whenever required by law or the order of the court, and shall execute a bond running to the clerk of said court and his successors in office as obligees, to be filed with said clerk for the benefit of the parties interested, in an amount to be fixed by the court or presiding judge, and with sureties to be approved by the court or presiding judge, conditioned for the faithful discharge of their duties as such commissioners and the faithful accounting for and application of all moneys which shall come into their hands as such commissioners. A majority shall constitute a quorum and a concurrence of a majority in any matter within their duties shall be sufficient to its determination.
Propose a changeThe commissioners first appointed shall hold their office until the first Tuesday in the second succeeding July following the date of the order organizing such district and until their respective successors are qualified. All commissioners appointed after the first board, excepting those appointed to fill vacancies, shall hold their respective offices for the term of two (2) years and until their respective successors are qualified.
Propose a changeAppointments to fill expired terms in the office of drainage commissioner shall be made by the presiding judge of the district court of the county having jurisdiction of the drainage district at the courthouse therein on the first Tuesday of July in each succeeding year or as soon thereafter as possible.
Propose a changeVacancies in the board may be filled by such judge at any time, the commissioners appointed to hold for the residue of the unexpired term. The removal of any commissioner from the county or counties in which lands of such district are situated shall render his office vacant.
Propose a changeThe commissioners shall keep an accurate record of all moneys collected on account of the work under their charge and of all payments made by them, and shall take vouchers for such payments and shall keep full, accurate and true minutes of all their proceedings.
Propose a changeOn the first Tuesday of July each year they shall file in the office of the clerk of the court having jurisdiction in the matter an itemized statement of all their receipts and disbursements, and leave said report in such office for examination by parties interested at all times.
Propose a changeThey shall receive for their services such compensation as the court or presiding judge thereof may determine. They shall also receive their actual reasonable expenses.
Propose a changeThey shall at all times be under the control and direction of the court or presiding judge, and shall obey its or his directions; for failure so to do they shall forfeit their compensation and be dealt with summarily as for contempt.
Propose a changeSuit may also be brought upon their bonds, in the name of the clerk of the court, and the amount recovered shall be applied to the construction of the work or to the party injured, as justice may require.
Propose a change(a) Within ten (10) days after said commissioners shall be appointed and qualified they shall meet and organize by electing one (1) of their number secretary, and as soon as may be thereafter, they shall personally examine the lands in said district and make a preliminary report to the court, which report shall state: (i) Whether said proposed work is necessary, or would be of utility in carrying out the purposes of the petition; (ii) Whether the proposed work would promote the public health; (iii) Whether the proposed work would promote the public welfare; (iv) Whether the total benefits from said proposed work will exceed the cost thereof together with the damages resulting therefrom; and in arriving at this they shall include all benefits and all damages resulting therefrom both within and without said district; (v) Said commissioners shall in said report fix as near as may be and report to the court the boundaries of said proposed drainage district. Said boundaries shall not be so changed from those in the petition described as to deprive the court of jurisdiction by reason of not having on the petition the required number of signers owning land within said changed boundaries.
Propose a changeIf said proposed work as in the petition described, is not best suited to carry out the purposes of the petition the commissioners shall consider and base their report upon the one (1) best suited to carry out those purposes and propose to the court the one (1) by them considered.
Propose a changeUpon the filing of the preliminary report the court or the presiding judge thereof shall by order fix a time and place when and where the same shall be heard at some general or special term of said court, not less than thirty (30) days from the filing of said report. Notice of the time and place of hearing upon said preliminary report shall be given to all interested persons by publishing a brief notice of the filing of said report, including a brief statement of the substance of said report, in one (1) or more newspapers published in each county in which any land in said proposed drainage district shall be situated (or if no newspaper is published in said county, in one (1) or more newspapers in an adjoining county) once in each week for three (3) successive weeks prior to the day appointed for hearing thereon. Said notice shall describe all lands by said report included in said district, which were not included therein by the petition, and state that such lands are to be included in said district, and shall describe all lands excluded from said district which were by the petition included therein and shall state that such lands are to be excluded from said district.
Propose a changeWhen lands are added to the district the owners thereof shall be served with said notice as provided for serving of notice of hearing on the petition.
Propose a changeUpon the day fixed for hearing upon said report, said court may adjourn said hearing for good cause or may proceed to hear, try and determine all issues arising upon said report.
Propose a changeAny interested party may appear and remonstrate against said report or any material part thereof. All remonstrances shall be in writing, be verified on oath, be filed at least five (5) days before the day fixed for hearing, and shall set forth the facts upon which they are based.
Propose a changeAll issues arising upon said preliminary report shall be tried by the court without a jury. If the court shall find in favor of the remonstrance, or if said report be that the proposed work will not promote the public health, and will not promote the public welfare, or that the benefits from said proposed work will not exceed the damages and cost of construction, and no remonstrance against said report is filed, the petition shall be dismissed and the costs taxed against the petitioners, and judgment entered therefor, as in W.S. 41-9-231 hereinafter provided.
Propose a changeBut if the preliminary report be that the benefits of said proposed work (or work by the commissioners proposed) will exceed the damages and the cost of construction and that the public health will be promoted thereby, or that the public welfare will be promoted thereby, and no remonstrance thereto is filed, or if on trial of the issues made on said report the court finds that the benefits will exceed the damages and cost of construction, and that the public health or the public welfare will be promoted by said proposed work, the court shall make and file such findings in writing and make an order confirming said report, or directing amendment of the report to conform to the findings of said court. And when so amended the court shall by order confirm the same, and direct said commissioners to proceed with said work with all convenient speed.
Propose a changeSuch findings and order shall be final and conclusive unless appealed from to the supreme court within thirty (30) days after filing thereof.
Propose a changeUpon entering of such order of confirmation of said preliminary report of record, such drainage district shall be, and is thereby declared to be organized as a drainage district, by the name mentioned in said petition, or such other name as the court shall fix, with the boundaries fixed by the order confirming the report of said commissioners, to be a body corporate by said name fixed in said order, with the right to sue and be sued, to adopt and use a seal, and to have perpetual succession.
Propose a changeThe commissioners appointed as aforesaid and their successors in office shall, from the entry of such order of confirmation, constitute the corporate authority of said drainage district, and shall exercise the functions conferred on them by law, and do all things and perform all acts necessary to the construction and preservation of the proposed work.
Propose a changeAll proceedings herein required, prior to the entry of such order of confirmation of record, shall be deemed to be and are hereby declared to be necessary to the formation of said body corporate. Division 1. Generally
Propose a changeThe commissioners, their agents, servants and employees shall have the right to go upon all lands along any drain, ditch, levee or embankment in their district, to inspect, deepen, widen and repair the same whenever necessary, doing no unnecessary damage, and shall not be liable for trespass therefor.
Propose a changeAny drainage district created and existing under W.S. 41-9-101 through 41-9-278 may, whenever it shall require a way of necessity outside its boundaries for any of its work or works theretofore authorized by the court, proceed to procure the same by the exercise of the power of eminent domain.
Propose a changeCommissioners of drainage districts are hereby declared to be public officers. The presumption shall be in favor of the regularity and validity of all their official acts. Whenever any report of the commissioners of any drainage district or any part of any such report is contested, remonstrated against or called in question, the burden of proof shall rest upon the contestant, remonstrant or questioner.
Propose a changeThe court shall at all times have supervision of said commissioners, and may at any time require them to make a report on any matter or matters connected with their duties as commissioners, and after due hearing may remove from office any or all of said commissioners for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office or for other good cause. The court may at any time require the commissioners to give new bonds to the clerk of the court and may fix the amount thereof, and said bonds shall be submitted to the court or the presiding judge thereof for approval.
Propose a changeIn case of failure to serve any notice of any proceeding or hearing in this chapter provided for, upon any person or corporation, such person or corporation, may appear in open court and waive such defect of service, or may waive it by filing in court or delivering to the commissioners of the drainage district to be filed in court a written waiver of such defect, in which waiver said defect shall be described; which waiver shall be signed by such party and witnessed and acknowledged before a proper officer having power to take acknowledgments of deeds.
Propose a changeThe provisions of this act shall be liberally construed to promote the public health and welfare by reclaiming wet or overflowed lands, building embankments or levees and the preservation of any system of drainage heretofore constructed according to law. Division 2. Report on Proposed Work
Propose a changeAs soon as may be after the confirmation of the said preliminary report, or within such time as the court may direct, said commissioners shall proceed to have all necessary levels taken and surveys made, and shall lay out said proposed work, make a map thereof and plans, profiles and other specifications thereof, and report in writing to the court.
Propose a changeThe commissioners shall report whether the starting point, routes and termini of the proposed work and the proposed location thereof, as in the petition contained, are in all respects proper and feasible, and, if not, shall report such as are most proper and feasible.
Propose a changeIf it be found necessary to change the boundaries of said proposed district, as by them previously fixed, they shall report said proposed change, and, if possible, shall report the names, residence and post-office addresses of the owner or owners of all lands affected by said change in boundaries, but no such change in boundaries shall be made as to deprive the court of jurisdiction; provided, however, that if the owners of lands adjacent to the district petition to have their lands brought into the district such may be considered the same as original petitioners in making changes of boundaries.
Propose a change