When the selectmen of any town refuse to lay out any necessary highway or to make any necessary alterations in any existing highway, unless such refusal is based on a designation of the existing highway as a scenic road pursuant to section 7-149a, any person may prefer an application therefor to the superior court for the judicial district in which such town is located, accompanied by a summons, signed by proper authority, to be served in the same manner as civil process on one of such selectmen, to appear and be heard thereon; and, unless the parties agree as to the judgment to be rendered, such application shall be heard and decided by a committee of three disinterested persons to be appointed by the court, at such time and place and with such reasonable notice to those interested therein as said court orders. If such committee finds that such highway or alteration will be of common convenience and necessity, it shall survey and lay out the same and estimate the damages sustained by or the special benefits accruing to each person by the layout of a new or the alteration of an existing highway, and report in writing its doings to said court.

(1949 Rev., S. 2154; 1958 Rev., S. 13-40; 1963, P.A. 226, S. 63; 1971, P.A. 870, S. 29; P.A. 76-436, S. 333, 681; P.A. 81-401, S. 2, 4; 81-472, S. 103, 159.)

History: 1963 act replaced previous provisions: See title history; 1971 act substituted court of common pleas for superior court, effective September 1, 1971, except that courts with cases pending retain jurisdiction unless pending matters deemed transferable; P.A. 76-436 substituted superior court for court of common pleas and added reference to judicial districts, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 81-401 amended the section by prohibiting appeal from a town's refusal to lay out a highway based on the highway's designation as a scenic road; P.A. 81-472 made technical changes.

Necessary allegations. 4 D. 407; 1 C. 279; 8 C. 162, 243; 9 C. 252; 11 C. 383, 576; 17 C. 197. Points as to notice and report of committee. 1 C. 279. Survey must give width as well as line of highway. 7 C. 127. Cases where report contained sufficient evidence that committee were sworn. 11 C. 387; 12 C. 146. Town the proper defendant, though service made on selectmen. 11 C. 579; 25 C. 602; 30 C. 35. Service by leaving copy at usual place of abode of selectmen, good. 12 C. 93. Court must establish or reject whole highway as laid out by committee. Id., 94. Findings of trial court conclusive as to notice to town and refusal of selectmen. Id., 150. Refusal of selectmen may be found by court after report by committee. 13 C. 373. Reference to committee implies that parties did not agree as to judgment. 19 C. 527. Question of convenience and necessity belongs to committee; committee to decide on necessity and place of highway. Id.; 20 C. 225; 48 C. 290. Court has jurisdiction where town refuses to accept selectmen's survey. 19 C. 600. Highways may be laid out by county commissioners over small creek in which tide ebbs and flows. 22 C. 182. Petitioners may withdraw before report is presented. 25 C. 136. Various points about committee's action and report. Id., 180; 43 C. 437; 50 C. 247; 51 C. 547. Persons interested. 27 C. 414. Requisites of committee's finding; requisite points in finding need not be precisely stated. 29 C. 493. Waiver of committee's disqualification. 35 C. 33. Irregular and improper conduct of committee. Id., 35. Denial of petition is a bar to another by other parties for same highway. Id., 532. Assessment of benefits an exercise of taxing powers. 36 C. 255. Section authorizes construction of a drawbridge. 38 C. 222; 50 C. 247. Highway running from one county into another may be laid out in part by Superior Court in each county. 39 C. 233. Evidence admissible before committee. 42 C. 321; 50 C. 247. Selectmen, or committee, must lay out same, or part of same, road applied for; if substantially the same, it is identical in law. 47 C. 334. Acceptance of service; points in procedure. 48 C. 272. Expense to be considered in determining question of convenience and necessity. 50 C. 593. Status of committee on one member leaving the state. 59 C. 205. Under former statute relating to approval by judge of layout near railroad, judge should consider danger rather than expense. 64 C. 256. Party failing to appeal from judgment cannot afterward obtain injunction. 69 C. 36. Constitutionality. 95 C. 95. Cited. 158 C. 280.

Cited. 12 CA 153; 29 CA 18.

Cited. 6 CS 5; 9 CS 458.