§ 53. Corporation counsel to acquire property. a. Whenever and as often as the board of transportation shall deem it to be necessary and proper that the city should acquire any such property and shall have caused such maps or plans and memoranda specifying and defining the property to be acquired, or to which are appurtenant the property rights to be acquired or extinguished, to be made and shall have certified, filed and transmitted the several copies of such maps or plans as prescribed in section fifty-two of this chapter, such board may direct the corporation counsel to take legal proceedings to acquire the same for the city, and the corporation counsel shall thereupon take legal proceedings as provided in this chapter.

b. The corporation counsel, either in person or by such counsel as he shall designate for the purpose, shall appear for and protect the interests of the city in all such proceedings. He shall furnish the court with such necessary clerks and other employees as it may require. All necessary expenses incurred by the corporation counsel in and about the proceedings provided for by this chapter for the proper presentation and defense of the interests of the city, shall be paid by the comptroller out of the funds referred to in section sixty-nine of this chapter. Property owners appearing in proceedings under this chapter shall not be entitled to recover counsel fees, costs, disbursements or allowances.