Subdivision 1. Drainage lien payment period must expire. After the period originally fixed or subsequently extended to pay the assessment of the drainage liens expires, a drainage system may be abandoned as provided in this section.
Subd. 2. Petitioners. A petition must be signed by at least 51 percent of the property owners assessed for the construction of the drainage system or by the owners of not less than 51 percent of the area of the property assessed for the drainage system. For the purpose of the petition, the county is the resident owner of all tax-forfeited property held by the state and assessed benefits for the drainage system, and the board may execute the petition for the county as an owner.
Subd. 3. Petition. The petition must designate the drainage system proposed to be abandoned and show that the drainage system is not of public benefit and utility because the agricultural property that used the drainage system has been generally abandoned or because the drainage system has ceased to function and its restoration is not practical.
Subd. 4. Filing petition; jurisdiction. If all property assessed for benefits in the drainage system is in one county, the petition must be filed with the auditor unless the petition is signed by the board, in which case the petition must be made to the district court of the county and filed with the court administrator. If property assessed for benefits is in two or more counties, the petition must be filed with the auditor. When the petition is filed, the drainage authority in consultation with the auditor, or the court administrator with the approval of the court, shall set a time and location for a hearing on the petition. The auditor or court administrator shall give notice by publication of the time and location of the abandonment hearing to all persons interested. The drainage authority or the district court where the petition is properly filed has jurisdiction of the petition.
Subd. 5. Abandonment hearing. (a) At the hearing, the drainage authority or court shall examine the petition and determine whether it is sufficient and shall hear all interested parties.
(b) If a property owner assessed benefits for the drainage system appears and makes a written objection to the abandonment of the drainage system, the drainage authority or court shall appoint three disinterested persons as viewers to examine the property and report to the drainage authority or court. The hearing must be adjourned to make the examination and report and a date must be set to reconvene. The viewers, if appointed, shall proceed to examine the property of the objecting owner and report as soon as possible to the drainage authority or court with the description and situation of the property and whether the drainage system drains or otherwise affects the property.
(c) When the hearing is reconvened, the drainage authority or court shall consider the viewers' report and all evidence offered, and:
(1) if the drainage authority determines that the drainage system serves any useful purpose to any property or the general public, the petition for abandonment must be denied; or
(2) if the drainage authority determines that the drainage system does not serve any useful purpose to any affected property and is not of public benefit and utility, the drainage authority or court shall make findings and shall, by order, abandon the drainage system.
Subd. 6. Effect of abandonment. After abandonment of a drainage system, a repair petition for the drainage system may not be accepted and the responsibility of the drainage authority for the maintenance of the drainage system ends.
1990 c 391 art 5 s 103
Structure Minnesota Statutes
Section 103E.005 — Definitions.
Section 103E.011 — Drainage Authority Powers.
Section 103E.015 — Considerations Before Drainage Work Is Done.
Section 103E.021 — Planting Ditches With Perennial Vegetation.
Section 103E.031 — Connection With Drains In Adjoining States.
Section 103E.035 — Defective Notice.
Section 103E.041 — Personal Service In Lieu Of Other Methods Of Notice.
Section 103E.043 — Informal Meetings.
Section 103E.045 — Failure To Attend Hearings; Drainage Authority.
Section 103E.051 — Defective Proceedings.
Section 103E.055 — Reimbursing Cost Of Former Surveys When Used Later.
Section 103E.061 — Right Of Entry.
Section 103E.065 — Drainage Inspectors.
Section 103E.067 — Ditch Buffer Strip; Annual Reporting.
Section 103E.071 — County Attorney.
Section 103E.075 — Obstructing Drainage System.
Section 103E.081 — Crimes Related To Drainage Systems; Penalties.
Section 103E.085 — Enforcement.
Section 103E.095 — Appeal From Orders Dismissing Or Establishing Drainage Systems.
Section 103E.097 — Attorney Fees On Appeal.
Section 103E.101 — Drainage Proceeding And Construction Records.
Section 103E.105 — Advice About Drainage Questions.
Section 103E.111 — Field Surveys And Investigations By Director.
Section 103E.115 — Hydrological And Drainage Information.
Section 103E.121 — Drain Tile; Manufacturing Studies.
Section 103E.212 — New Drainage System Projects.
Section 103E.215 — Improving Drainage Systems.
Section 103E.221 — Improving Outlets.
Section 103E.227 — Impounding, Rerouting, And Diverting Drainage System Waters.
Section 103E.231 — Dismissing Or Delaying Proceedings; Petitioners.
Section 103E.235 — Drainage System In Two Or More Counties.
Section 103E.238 — County Attorney Review Of Petition And Bond.
Section 103E.245 — Preliminary Survey And Preliminary Survey Report.
Section 103E.251 — Filing Preliminary Survey Report.
Section 103E.255 — Commissioner's Preliminary Advisory Report.
Section 103E.261 — Preliminary Hearing.
Section 103E.265 — Order For Detailed Survey And Survey Report.
Section 103E.271 — Detailed Survey.
Section 103E.275 — Engineer's Variance From Drainage Authority Order.
Section 103E.281 — Soil Survey.
Section 103E.285 — Detailed Survey Report.
Section 103E.291 — Filing Detailed Survey Report.
Section 103E.295 — Revising Engineer's Detailed Survey Report After Acceptance.
Section 103E.301 — Commissioner's Final Advisory Report.
Section 103E.305 — Viewers' Appointment And Qualification.
Section 103E.311 — Viewer Duties.
Section 103E.315 — Assessing Drainage Benefits And Damages.
Section 103E.321 — Viewers' Report.
Section 103E.323 — Property Owners' Report.
Section 103E.325 — Final Hearing Notice.
Section 103E.331 — Jurisdiction Of Property By Drainage Authority.
Section 103E.335 — Proceedings At Final Hearing.
Section 103E.341 — Drainage Authority Final Order.
Section 103E.345 — Apportioning Cost For Joint County Drainage Systems.
Section 103E.351 — Redetermining Benefits And Damages.
Section 103E.401 — Use Of Drainage System As Outlet.
Section 103E.405 — Outlets In Adjoining States.
Section 103E.411 — Drainage System As Outlet For Municipality.
Section 103E.501 — Contract And Bond.
Section 103E.505 — Awarding Construction Contract.
Section 103E.511 — Contract Not Awarded; Excessive Bids Or Costs.
Section 103E.515 — Damages; Payment.
Section 103E.521 — Construction Supervision.
Section 103E.525 — Constructing And Maintaining Bridges And Culverts.
Section 103E.526 — Constructing Road Instead Of Bridge Or Culvert.
Section 103E.53 — Rules To Standardize Forms.
Section 103E.531 — Inspecting Drainage Construction; Partial Payments.
Section 103E.535 — Partial Payment Of Retained Contract Amounts.
Section 103E.541 — Extending Time On Contracts.
Section 103E.545 — Reducing Contractor's Bond.
Section 103E.551 — Contractor Default.
Section 103E.555 — Accepting Contract.
Section 103E.601 — Drainage Lien Statement.
Section 103E.605 — Effect Of Filed Drainage Lien.
Section 103E.611 — Paying Drainage Liens And Interest.
Section 103E.615 — Enforcing Assessments.
Section 103E.621 — Satisfying Liens.
Section 103E.625 — Subdivision By Platting; Liens Apportioned.
Section 103E.631 — Apportioning Liens.
Section 103E.635 — Drainage Bond Issues.
Section 103E.641 — Drainage Funding Bonds.
Section 103E.645 — Allowance And Payment Of Fees And Expenses.
Section 103E.651 — Drainage System Account.
Section 103E.655 — Paying Drainage System Costs.
Section 103E.661 — Examining And Establishing Drainage System Accounts; State Auditor.
Section 103E.705 — Repair Procedure.
Section 103E.711 — Cost Apportionment For Joint County Drainage Systems.
Section 103E.715 — Repair By Petition.
Section 103E.721 — Replacement And Hydraulic Capacity Of Bridges And Culverts.
Section 103E.725 — Cost Of Repair.
Section 103E.728 — Apportioning Repair Costs.
Section 103E.729 — Apportioning Repair Costs; Alternative Option.
Section 103E.731 — Assessment; Bonds.
Section 103E.735 — Drainage Systems; Repair Fund.
Section 103E.741 — Property Not Assessed Benefits; Hearing.
Section 103E.745 — Cost Of Repair Exceeding Benefits In Anoka County.
Section 103E.801 — Consolidating Or Dividing Drainage Systems.
Section 103E.805 — Removing Property From Drainage System.
Section 103E.806 — Partial Abandonment Of Drainage System.
Section 103E.811 — Abandoning Drainage System.
Section 103E.812 — Transfer Of All Or Part Of Drainage System.