After a certified copy of the entry of the court and of the appraisals as confirmed by the court, except those parts from which appeals have been perfected but not determined, is transmitted to the secretary of the conservancy district as provided by section 6101.37 of the Revised Code, the board of directors of the conservancy district may deposit with the court the amount of any confirmed appraisal of compensation or damages, from the award of which no appeal has been taken, for any property or interest in property as included in the conservancy appraisal record and confirmed by the court. The court then shall enter an order admitting the district into possession of all of the property for which payment has been deposited, and confirming its title to that property. The clerk of the court shall have so much of the order recorded in the office of the county recorder of the county where the land is located as will show the transfer of title. The owners of the property then shall have an interest in the fund so deposited to the extent of their respective interests in the property taken or damaged.

The court shall appoint a magistrate who, upon giving bond in the amount and manner ordered by the court, shall receive all applications of owners, lienholders, and other persons claiming an interest in any of the property acquired by the district through the appraisal record, conduct necessary hearings, and report to the court from time to time as to the persons entitled to payment out of the fund and the amount due each. The court, if satisfied that the report is correct, shall order the magistrate and the clerk to countersign vouchers for the payment of the money to the persons entitled to it. In the event of conflicting claims to the fund, the claims may be submitted and determined in the court, proceedings shall be had as provided in section 163.18 of the Revised Code, insofar as that section is applicable to this section, and the costs of the proceedings shall be paid by the claimants. All interest income from the fund shall be paid to the district, and all costs of administering and handling the fund deposited with the court shall be paid by the district. The magistrate shall have the usual powers possessed by magistrates, shall have the cooperation of the district in determining the proper parties entitled to the fund, and may use any abstracts, title certificates, title reports, or other information that the district has relative to any of the properties acquired by the district on the appraisal record.

If the district acquired any of the property or interests appearing on the appraisal record by contract without the intervention of the magistrate, the court shall order the return to the district of so much of the fund as represents the property or interest so acquired.

Effective Date: 09-21-2000 .