When in the opinion of the board of county commissioners, by resolution entered on its journal, any land owned by the county or any highway therein, under its supervision, is in need of drainage and the drainage will also specially benefit other land, the board may file a petition without bond for the improvement in the court of common pleas of the county. Upon the filing of the petition, the court shall act in the same manner, conduct the same proceedings, and make the same findings and orders as are provided in sections 6131.01 to 6131.64 of the Revised Code for a board of county commissioners. In such case the clerk of the court of common pleas shall perform all the duties provided in such sections to be performed by the clerk of the board of county commissioners. From any final order or judgment of the court, an appeal may be taken as in civil cases. All papers to be filed with the clerk of the board of county commissioners as provided in sections 6131.01 to 6131.64 of the Revised Code shall, in the matter of such petition, be filed with the clerk of the court of common pleas. The county engineer shall obey the order of the court in any matter made his duty by sections 6131.01 to 6131.64, 6133.01 to 6133.15, and 6135.01 to 6135.27 of the Revised Code the same as if the order had been made by the board. After the assessment has been levied by the court and the contracts let, the entire record shall be certified by the clerk of the court to the clerk of the board of county commissioners to be entered upon the county drainage records, and the county auditor shall place the assessments upon the duplicate for collection as in other cases. In case of a finding or judgment by the court for compensation for property taken or damage to property by reason of the improvement, that fact and amount shall be immediately certified to the auditor who shall draw his warrant on the county treasurer for payment as provided in sections 6131.01 to 6131.64 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 04-09-1981 .