The court rendering judgment in any case provided for by this article against an occupying claimant, shall, at the request of such occupying claimant, for the benefit of the provisions of this article, cause an entry to be made upon the journal of such request, and shall at once set a day for the trial of the right of such occupying claimant to compensation for all lasting, valuable and permanent improvements made by such occupying claimant, or those under whom he claims upon the premises, prior to the issuing of summons in the cause; and at such trial each party shall produce his evidence relating to such improvements, and the court shall make specific findings of fact on all matters relating to the right of such occupying claimant to compensation for such improvements, and shall find specifically whether such improvements were made in good faith and under color of title and whether the occupying claimant is entitled to the benefit of this article, which findings shall be entered at length upon the journal, and if the court shall find that the occupying claimant is entitled to compensation for such improvements, it shall at once appoint three disinterested freeholders of the county who shall have the qualifications of jurors in the cause, to assess the actual value of the improvements on the date of the assessment, of which appointment and the date of assessment all parties to the action shall have five (5) days actual notice. Said appraisers shall also assess the rental value of the premises from the date of the summons to the date of the appraisement; also the actual value of the land without the improvements; which assessments shall be made upon actual view of the premises, and said appraisers shall reduce their appraisement to writing and return the same to the court or clerk thereof forthwith; and upon such report the court shall render judgment in accordance therewith: Provided, that if either party shall at any time before the return and filing of the report of the appraisers, demand a trial by jury, the court shall at once discharge the appraisers and impanel a jury to find the facts and make the assessment of value which the appraisers were to make, which trial shall be had in open court and upon proofs to be adduced by the parties, and the trial shall be conducted in all respects as other jury trials, and the court may, in its discretion, send the jury to take an actual view of the premises. The said jury shall return their findings of value into court and the court shall then enter judgment in accordance with such findings: Provided, that if either party deem himself aggrieved by such assessment of values or findings of the court, he may, upon motion and proper showing, obtain a new trial as in other cases under the Code of Civil Procedure of this state.
R.L. 1910, § 4935.