§ 9-2-27

Upon the return of the summons, or as soon thereafter as the business of the court will permit, the court shall proceed to a hearing of the cause, and shall impanel a jury to ascertain the just compensation to be paid to all owners of property to be taken or damaged. If objections are filed to the confirmation of the assessment of benefits, those objections shall be submitted to the same jury at the same time. Thereupon the jury shall ascertain the just compensation to be paid to the owner of each lot, block, tract, or parcel of land to be taken or damaged in the proceeding, and shall also determine whether or not any lot, piece, or parcel of land assessed in the proceeding, for which objections have been filed, has been assessed more than it will be benefited by the improvement. On this hearing the commissioners' report so returned and filed, shall be prima facie evidence, both of the amount of the compensation to be awarded, and of the benefits to be assessed, but either party may introduce such other evidence as may bear upon that issue or issues.

Legislative History

(Source: Laws 1961, p. 576.)