41-7-602. Petition for contract and assessments; hearings generally.

Whenever any contract between the United States and an irrigation district so provides, the assessment or assessments for benefits and construction against the individual tracts of land in the district, as now required under W.S. 41-7-401, may be dispensed with, and in such case the board of commissioners of the district, at any time, or after an election as provided by law has resulted in the approval of such contract, may file in the district court of the county embracing the largest acreage of the district, a petition praying in effect, that the contract and the proceedings leading up to the execution of same and the assessment for benefits and construction as requested therein may be examined, approved and confirmed by the court. The petition shall state generally that the irrigation district was duly authorized, that due and lawful proceedings were taken to execute a contract with the United States which incurred a district indebtedness for construction charges to the United States in a maximum amount to be stated, and that the assessments to be levied against the individual tracts of land under the contract do not exceed the benefits to accrue to such tracts of land, respectively, by reason of such contract. The court shall, upon presentation of such a petition, fix a time for the hearing of said petition and shall order the clerk of the court to give and publish notice of the filing of the said petition, and of the time and place fixed for the hearing thereon. The notice of such hearing shall be published three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in each county in which such district is located and shall state the time and place fixed for the hearing of the petition, the prayer thereof, and that any person interested in the subject matter of the petition may, on or before three (3) days prior to the day fixed for the hearing thereof, answer or otherwise plead thereto, and no other notice shall be required to be given of the time and place of the hearing thereon. Upon the hearing on such proceedings, the court shall disregard every error, irregularity, or omission which does not affect the substantial rights of any party, and the court may make an order confirming and approving the proceedings taken to ratify and confirm such contract and the assessments for benefits and construction as required therein. The costs of the proceedings may be allowed and apportioned among the parties thereto in the discretion of the court.