§ 50:63 — Disagreement as to damages due; petition to court; costs

If the parties interested cannot agree upon the amount to be paid for damages caused by the entry or by the work done, either of them may petition the district court in the parish in which the land is situated to settle the issue. The court shall appoint a time to hear the parties and their witnesses and shall assess damages.
If there has been a tender of damages to the injured party by the party entering the land, the injured party shall bear the costs of the suit if the damages finally assessed by the court do not exceed the amount tendered. If the damages assessed by the court are more than the amount tendered, the party entering upon the land shall bear the costs.