Whenever the owner, operator, or lessee of any land adjacent to other land on which any coal mine is being worked shall have reason to believe that such mine is being so worked as to encroach upon his land and has been refused by the owner, operator, or manager of the mine permission at reasonable times to enter said mine with a competent engineer for the purpose of inspecting and surveying such mine, he may make appeal under oath to the probate court of the county in which the mine is situated, setting out the facts and praying for an order that such mine shall be surveyed. Upon the hearing, after such notice to the owner, operator, or lessee of the mine as the court may prescribe, the court may make an order requiring the department to employ a competent engineer to make a survey of such mine and file such survey in the office of the judge of probate and such survey when filed shall be received in any court as prima facie correct. The court may at any time during the progress of the proceedings require security for costs and may tax the costs in such manner as may be just and equitable.
Last modified: May 3, 2021