Sec. 19. (a) A person who filed a written remonstrance with the commission under section 17 of this chapter and is aggrieved by the final action taken, may within ten (10) days after that final action, file an appeal in the office of the clerk of the circuit or superior court with a copy of the resolution of the commission and the person's remonstrance against that resolution.

(b) If an appeal is filed, the commission may petition that the appeal be dismissed unless the remonstrator posts a bond with a surety approved by the court payable to the commission for the payment of all damages and costs that may accrue by reason of the filing of the lawsuit if the commission prevails. A hearing on a petition to dismiss an appeal shall be conducted in the same manner as a hearing on a temporary injunction under IC 34-26. If at the hearing the court determines that the remonstrator cannot establish facts that would entitle the remonstrator to a temporary injunction, the court shall set the amount of the bond to be filed by the remonstrator in an amount found by the judge to cover all damages and costs that may accrue to the commission because of the appeal if the commission prevails. If no bond is filed by the remonstrator with sureties approved by the court within ten (10) days after the court's order is entered, the suit shall be dismissed, and no court has further jurisdiction of the appeal or any other lawsuit involving any issue that was or could have been raised in the appeal.

(c) The burden of proof in the appeal is on the remonstrator.

(d) An appeal under this section shall be promptly heard by the court without a jury. All remonstrances upon which an appeal has been taken shall be consolidated and heard and determined within thirty (30) days after the time of the filing of the appeal. Notwithstanding any other law, the court shall decide the appeal based on the record and evidence before the commission, not by trial de novo, and may sustain the remonstrance only if the court finds that the actions of the commission in adopting the resolution were arbitrary and capricious.

(e) The court may confirm the final action of the commission or sustain the remonstrances. The final judgment of the court is final and conclusive, unless an appeal is taken as in other civil actions. An appeal to the court of appeals or supreme court has priority over all other civil appeals.

(f) Either the remonstrator or the commission may appeal the court order to the Indiana supreme court within the ten (10) day period by notice of appeal on a statement of errors in the same manner as is provided in a petition for mandate or prohibition. The supreme court may stay the lower court order pending its own decision, may set a bond to be filed by the remonstrator, may modify the order of the lower court, or may enter the court's order as the final order in a case.

As added by P.L.35-1990, SEC.63. Amended by P.L.1-1998, SEC.211.