Chapter 26: Condemnation of Land for County Uses

Whenever any county cannot obtain by contract, for a reasonable price, any land required for public use, its commissioners, agents or committee, authorized by the county convention to procure such land, may prepare a written location, containing an accurate description of such land, and give notice of a hearing thereon before the commissioners, which notice shall be served as required by law for notices of hearings before selectmen on petitions for highways; and all provisions for the hearing of highway petitions before selectmen shall apply to such hearings so far as the same are applicable, but the return of the location and of the assessment of damages shall be filed with the clerk of court for the county.

Any person aggrieved by such location or assessment of damages may appeal to the superior court by petition within 60 days after the return is filed. The court, on application of any interested party, may designate in what county the petition relating to such location shall be tried, and the clerk shall transmit the petition to the clerk of court for the county so designated. Any petition made after such designation may be originally filed in the county designated.

All provisions for highway appeals shall apply to the appeals herein provided for, so far as the same are applicable; but service of the summons shall be made upon the county interested in the manner provided by law for service of writs upon a county.