46-554.

Annual assessments; levy; objections; hearing; order; appeal.

Prior to the first day of July of any year in which assessments are made under the authority of sections 46-544 to 46-553, the board shall appoint a time and place or places where it will meet within the district for the purpose of hearing objections to assessments. Prior notice of such hearing shall be given by publication in two issues, a week apart, in some newspaper of general circulation published in each county in which lands within the district are located or, if there is any county in the district in which there is no newspaper published, in an adjoining county. The notice shall notify the owners of property in the district that in the secretary's office and in the office of the county treasurer of the county in which the land to be assessed is located may be found and examined a description of the property so assessed, the amount of the assessment thereon fixed by the board, and the time and place or places fixed by the board for the hearing of objections to such assessments. It shall not be necessary for the notice to contain separate descriptions of the lots or tracts of real estate, but it shall be sufficient if the notice contains such descriptions as will inform the owner whether or not his or her real estate is covered by such description and where the amount of the assessment can be found of record.

If, in the opinion of any person whose property is assessed, his or her property has been assessed too high or has been erroneously or illegally assessed, he or she may at any time before the date of such hearing file written objections to such assessments stating the grounds of such objections, which statement shall be verified by the affidavit of the person or his or her agent. At such hearing the board shall hear such evidence and arguments as may be offered concerning the correctness or legality of such assessment and may modify the same.

Any owner of property desiring to appeal from the findings of the board as to assessments shall, within thirty days from the findings of the board, file with the clerk of the district court of the county within which the property or a part thereof is located a written notice making demand for trial by the court. The appellant at the same time shall file a bond with good and sufficient security to be approved by the clerk of the court in a sum not exceeding two hundred dollars to the effect that if the finding of the court is not more favorable to the appellant than the finding of the board, the appellant will pay the cost of the appeal. The appellant shall state definitely from what part of the order the appeal is taken. In case more than one appeal is taken, the court may, upon a showing that the same may be consolidated without injury to the interests of anyone, consolidate and try the appeals together. The court shall not disturb the findings of the board unless they are manifestly disproportionate to the assessments imposed upon other property in the district created under sections 46-501 to 46-573. The trial shall be to the court, take precedence before the court, and be taken up as promptly as possible after the appeal is taken from the findings of the board within the time prescribed in this section.

If no appeal is taken from the findings of the board, then the assessment shall be final and conclusive evidence that the assessments have been made in proportion to the benefits conferred upon the property in the district by reason of the improvements to be constructed under such sections, and such assessments shall constitute a perpetual lien upon such property so assessed until paid.

Any person, firm, or corporation owning real property within any reclamation district created or established by virtue of such sections and feeling aggrieved by a final order of the district court may appeal to the Court of Appeals. He or she shall give notice of appeal, deposit the docket fee, and file a transcript as provided in section 25-1912. The appeal being one of public interest shall be advanced by the court to a speedy hearing.