(a) One or more owners of land wishing to form a district in a municipality or a county may petition the municipality or county to form a district as follows:

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Terms Used In Alabama Code 11-99A-4

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Probate: Proving a will
(1) The owners shall prepare a written petition executed by the owners of all land proposed to be included within the district.
(2) The petition shall include a description of the tract or tracts of land proposed to be included within the district, which may include less than all of any individual tract of land. The description shall be sufficient if it refers to tax assessment tracts in accordance with the tax assessor’s numbering or other reference system, by metes and bounds, by subdivision lot, by reference to recorded deeds, or by other reasonable reference method.
(3) The petition shall include a map or plat of the proposed district, showing that, if the district is created, (i) with respect to a petition being submitted to a municipality, the land will be contiguous with land presently within the city or town limits of the municipality, whether or not all the land is presently within the corporate limits of the municipality and (ii) with respect to a petition being submitted to a county, the land will be contiguous.
(4) The petition shall designate no more than three persons to act as agents in representing the owners before the municipality or county. The persons need not be owners of the subject land.
(b) Any land proposed to be included within a district formed by a municipality may not be within the municipal limits of any municipality other than the municipality to which the petition is being made. Any land proposed to be included within a district formed by a county may not be within the municipal limits or the territorial jurisdiction under subsection (a) of Section 11-52-30, of any municipal planning commission of any municipality except with the consent of that municipality. Any land proposed to be included within a district formed by a county may not be within another county except with the consent of that county.
(c) A petition shall contain a proposed form of articles of incorporation for the proposed district, which shall include the following information:

(1) The name of the district and that the district is organized pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(2) The names and mailing addresses of the incorporators.
(3) The name of the appointing government.
(4) The names and addresses of the members of the initial board of directors of the district and their initial terms of office.
(5) The period of duration of the district, which may be perpetual.
(6) The location of the principal office of the district.
(7) Any other provisions not inconsistent with this chapter, including any limitations on the power of the district.
(d) A petition shall contain a proposed name for the district substantially in the form of “__________ Improvement District,” which name shall be sufficient to distinguish the district from other districts of the same appointing government.
(e) Upon receipt of a petition, the municipality or county shall confirm that the persons executing the petition are the owners of all land proposed to be included within the district.
(f) If the council considers the formation of a district expedient, the council may, by resolution, approve the formation of the district and the articles of incorporation therefor, and appoint three persons as the initial board of directors of the district.
(g) The three or fewer persons designated by the owners to represent them shall execute and cause to be recorded in the office of judge of probate in the county in which the district exists, and if in more than one county, in all such counties, the articles of incorporation as approved by the appointing government. Upon recordation, the district shall be formed as a body corporate, having the powers stated in this chapter. The acceptance of articles of incorporation for recording by the judge of probate shall be conclusive evidence of the due, legal, and valid incorporation of the district in all courts.
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