(1) In its discretion, the public entity may file a petition prior to the issuance of securities under the supplemental public securities act in the district court in any county in which the public entity or a portion thereof is located for a judicial examination and determination of any power conferred; any securities issued by the public entity or authorized to be issued by the public entity; any taxes, assessments, fees, or charges levied or otherwise made by the public entity or contracted to be levied by the public entity or otherwise made by the public entity; or of any other act, proceeding, or contract of the public entity whether or not such act, proceeding, or contract has been taken or executed, including proposed contracts for any improvement; proposed securities of the public entity to defray in whole or in part the cost of the project or any refunding; the proposed acquisition, improvement, equipment, maintenance, operation, or disposal of any property pertaining thereto; or any combination thereof.
A petition filed under subsection (1) of this section shall set forth the facts uponwhich the validity of such power, security, tax, assessment, fee, charge, act, proceeding, or contract is founded. The presiding officer of the public entity shall verify the petition before it is filed with the public entity court by signing said petition.
Any action filed under this section shall be in the nature of a proceeding in rem. Thedistrict court shall have jurisdiction over all parties interested in the proceeding upon the publication and posting of a notice in accordance with this section.
The clerk of the district court in which a petition is filed shall provide notice of suchfiling. The notice shall include a brief outline of the contents of the petition; the time, date, and location of the hearing; and the location where a complete copy of any documents at issue in the petition may be examined. The clerk shall serve the notice by:
Publishing the notice at least once a week for five consecutive weeks by five weeklyinsertions in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipalities and counties in which the public entity is located; and
Posting the notice in the office of the public entity at least thirty days prior to the dateof the hearing on the petition.
Any resident in the public entity or owner of real property within the boundaries ofthe public entity may appear at the hearing by either filing a motion to dismiss or an answer to the petition on or before the hearing date or within such time as the court may allow. The petition shall be taken as confessed by all persons who fail to appear.
The petition and notice shall be sufficient to give the district court jurisdiction, and,upon hearing, the district court shall examine and determine all matters affecting the question submitted, shall make such findings with reference thereto, and shall render such judgment and decree thereon as the case warrants.
Unless otherwise specified in this section, the Colorado rules of civil procedure shallgovern any actions filed under this section in matters of pleading and practice.
Costs may be divided or apportioned among any contesting parties in the discretionof the district court.
Review of the judgment of the district court may be available as in other similarcases; except that such review shall be applied for within thirty days after the time of the rendition of such judgment or within such additional time as may be allowed by the district court within thirty days.
The district court shall disregard any error, irregularity, or omission that does notaffect the substantial rights of the parties.
All cases in which there may arise a question of validity of any matter provided forunder this section shall be advanced as a matter of immediate public interest and concern and shall be heard at the earliest practicable moment.
Nothing in this section applies to any condemnation of property.
Source: L. 2000: Entire part added, p. 137, § 1, effective August 2.