1. Such petition, as soon as so signed, shall be filed in the office of the circuit clerk of the county in which is situate the land that will be affected by the proposed improvements; each person not having signed such petition, owning land that will be either damaged or benefitted by the construction of the ditch, tile or levee shall be named as a party defendant in such action and served with a summons and a copy of the petition, as in ordinary civil actions. If such owner or owners of land be nonresidents of the state, then such service shall be had as provided in the civil code of Missouri.

2. The court shall set a date to hear objections, which such date shall be named in a notice accompanying such petition and given each owner of land and which hearing shall not be more than twenty days from the return date; such notice shall state the purpose sought as set out in the petition and that the person receiving such notice shall have the right to file objections to the petition. Any person whose land will be affected in any manner by the proposed ditch, tile or levee shall have the right to file his objection on or before the date set for such hearing and before the hour of such hearing. Such objection or objections shall be limited to a denial of the allegations as contained in the petition.

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3. The circuit court shall hear such objections without unnecessary delay and if such objections be overruled it shall appoint three disinterested residents of the county, not of kin within the second degree of consanguinity to any person owning land to be affected, as commissioners, who before entering upon their duties shall be sworn to faithfully and impartially perform the duties imposed upon them by this chapter.