Title IX, Counties, Cities, and Other Local Units

In enacting legislation relating to coroners, the General Assembly recognizes that the coroner is an elected constitutional peace officer. The General Assembly also recognizes that the ascertainment of the cause and manner of death in cases in which the coroner has jurisdiction i…

As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (1) "Certified coroner" or "certified deputy coroner" means a coroner or deputy coroner who has been certified by the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet to have successfully completed both the basic training …

(1) The coroner of each county shall investigate the cause and manner of all deaths that are defined by KRS 72.405 as a coroner's case. (2) The coroner may, in his sound discretion, when investigating a coroner's case, request the assistance of the district medical examiner and t…

deputy coroners -- Effects of failure to complete required training. (1) For the purpose of enforcing KRS 72.410 to 72.470, coroners and deputy coroners have the full power and authority of peace officers in this state, including the power of arrest and the authority to bear arms…

(1) A coroner may, in his sound discretion, order an inquest in any coroner's case. The inquest shall be conducted by a coroner's jury consisting of six (6) reputable citizens of the county selected and sworn by the coroner. The coroner may issue subpoenas and subpoenas duces tec…

In the event the death of a person is not a coroner's case, consent to an autopsy shall be obtained from the decedent, by written consent, signed and acknowledged prior to his death; or his or her spouse; or in the absence of a spouse, the next of kin of the decedent; or in the a…

No pathologist, toxicologist, chemist, or other authorized person shall be required to inquire into the authority of the coroner to order an autopsy to be performed. Any authorized pathologist, toxicologist, chemist, or other authorized person who participates in an autopsy or po…

In the event it is necessary for the coroner to order a body to be transported or exhumed, payment shall be made by the fiscal court, consolidated local government, or urban- county government, whichever is appropriate, upon certification by the coroner that the services were ren…

A coroner may, upon receipt of an affidavit from any person stating that he believes or has reasonable grounds to believe that a person who is dead and buried died from poisoning or other illegal cause, order the body exhumed and a post-mortem examination or autopsy conducted.

In the event a coroner declines to order an autopsy or body exhumed for an autopsy, the county or Commonwealth's attorney may petition the District or Circuit Court having jurisdiction to order an autopsy. In granting or denying such request, the court shall determine whether or …

(1) (a) A coroner who has possession of a dead body or a part thereof shall make a bona fide attempt of at least thirty (30) days to notify the spouse, if any, or next of kin of the decedent's death. In the event the coroner is unable to locate the spouse, if any, or next of kin,…

The fiscal court, consolidated local government, or urban-county government, whichever is appropriate, shall pay the expense of conducting a search for a body where such search has been ordered by the coroner.

The cost of autopsies shall be paid for by the fiscal court; provided, however, that the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, Office of the Kentucky State Medical Examiner, may contract with pathologists and toxicologists and chemists and pay for such autopsies within the budgetary…

Change in original certificate. (1) The coroner shall in his sound discretion determine the extent of inquiry to be made into any death occurring under natural circumstances and falling within the provisions of KRS 72.410 to 72.470, and if inquiry reveals that the physician or ad…

Any coroner, deputy coroner or designee thereof, acting in good faith within the scope of his official duties, shall have immunity from any civil liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed.

KRS 72.400 to 72.470 may be cited as "The Kentucky Coroner's Act of 1978."

(1) A coroner shall follow the requirements of subsection (3) of this section relating to notification of a spouse, if any, or next of kin, when the coroner has reason to believe that the spouse, if any, or next of kin has not yet been notified of the decedent’s death, and: (a) A…

(1) Any person who violates KRS 72.020(1) or who interferes with the coroner in the lawful performance of his duties shall be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250), or be confined in jail for not more than ninety (90) days, or both. (2) Any coroner or deputy corone…

The county surveyor, before he enters on the duties of his office, shall give a bond in the minimum amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) with sureties approved by the fiscal court, which shall record the approval in its minutes and shall file the bond with the county clerk.

No person shall be eligible to file for the office of county surveyor unless he or she produces to the county clerk at the time of filing for office evidence he or she holds a Kentucky license as a professional land surveyor in accordance with the requirements of KRS 322.020 and …

On the recommendation of the county surveyor, the county judge/executive may appoint one (1) or more deputy surveyors, if the county judge/executive is satisfied that they are competent. The surveyor shall be answerable for the conduct of his deputies, and may remove any deputy a…

(1) The county surveyor shall perform any business in the civil engineering profession that he is lawfully ordered to do by any court in his county. (2) The county surveyor may select chainmen and other necessary assistants to aid him in carrying out the orders of court. The fees…

The court may direct an order of survey to any person; but in considering an application for the appointment of another surveyor for a special work, the court must give preference to the county surveyor.

Every surveyor shall promptly and faithfully execute every order of survey made by any court of lands lying in his county, and make out and return a true plat and certificate of his survey, accompanied by explanatory notes.

(1) Every survey shall be made by horizontal measurement. (2) In resurveying lands, the surveyor must execute the survey by the magnetic meridian, but he shall certify and show in his plat the degree of variation in the magnetic needle from the true meridian at the periods of the…

The county surveyor shall append to the field notes of every survey the date of the survey and the variations of the needle from the true meridian at the time of making the survey.

The county surveyor shall be made a member of committees or commissions appointed by the courts to locate, inspect, care for and report on bridges and other public improvements, and may, without taking additional oath, be made a commissioner to divide land, lay off dower or homes…

County surveyors and their deputies may administer oaths to commissioners appointed to divide land, to lay off dower or homestead, to open, alter or close a public road, or to open or close a private passway.

The county may provide the county surveyor with an office at the county seat, and with record books. The records shall be county property and shall be kept in the office of the surveyor or the county clerk.

The county surveyor shall keep a record of plats, and explanatory notes of all surveys made by him or his deputies, and copies of the record, certified to by the county surveyor, shall be legal evidence in any court. No survey or resurvey of real estate made by any person except …

(1) In counties where there have been no record plat books kept by the county surveyors, the fiscal court, by contract with the county surveyor, may order him to record by plat and explanatory notes all or any part of the surveys he has made and preserved while in office, and any…

When the office of county surveyor is vacant, the county judge/executive shall order the county clerk to take charge of the books and papers of the office, and the clerk shall give certified copies of the records when demanded, and the requirements of KRS 64.012 have been satisfi…

When the records of the county surveyor have been lost, mutilated or destroyed, they shall be supplied upon request of the county surveyor and county judge/executive from the records of the land office.

The county for which lost, mutilated or destroyed records are supplied shall furnish or pay for the necessary books in which to make the records and for the necessary clerk hire to transcribe the records, but no fees shall be due or payable to the state or any officer for such re…

The Secretary of State shall certify to each book and at the end of each record, when supplied as directed in KRS 73.150 and 73.160. Such records when compiled and certified by the Secretary of State shall be prima facie evidence in court of all matters therein contained.

The county judge/executive shall appoint three (3) competent persons in the county to serve as processioners for a term of four (4) years. Before proceeding to act, each processioner shall take an oath to discharge the duties of his office to the best of his skill and judgment. A…

The processioners shall, on the application of any person producing his title papers, go around his land, or the part he may desire, and re-mark it, taking care that the new marks are on the old lines. When they find any corner tree, post or stone removed, defaced or rotted down,…

The processioners or any two (2) or more persons selected by the parties and appointed by the county judge/executive may, on the application of persons whose lands adjoin, go on their dividing lines, and, by their consent, mark new corner trees, set up new stones or posts, ascert…

The county surveyor, or some person appointed by the court to survey, shall in all cases attend the processioners or the persons selected by the parties. He shall make out a plat and certificate of the land of the applicants, noting what is done, and his plat and certificate shal…

The processioners may, at the request of any party interested, take depositions as to the proper position of any corner or line, and the depositions shall be returned with the processioners' report. The opposite party may, in like manner, take testimony at the same or another tim…

Any person desiring to have his land processioned, or desiring to take depositions as allowed by KRS 73.220, may give ten (10) days' notice to any person interested, or his agent or attorney, or, if an infant, or person adjudged mentally disabled, to his guardian or conservator, …

If any person owns a tract of land that lies in two (2) or more adjoining counties, the processioners of that county in which the greater part lies may procession the whole tract.

The reports of processioners, the plats and certificates of the surveyor, notices and affidavits, and depositions taken by the processioners, shall be filed and kept by the county clerk. The report, notice and plat shall be recorded, and shall be prima facie evidence against the …

(1) Any surveyor who violates any of the provisions of KRS 73.060 shall forfeit twenty dollars ($20) to the person injured, and shall be jointly and severally liable, with his sureties, to an action on his bond for damages. (2) Any surveyor who violates any of the provisions of K…

Subject to the provisions of KRS 74.012 a fiscal court may create a water district in accordance with the procedures of KRS 65.810.

Hearing -- Conditions. (1) Prior to the establishment of any water district as provided by KRS 74.010, and prior to the incorporation or formation of any nonprofit corporation, association or cooperative corporation having as its purpose the furnishing of a public water supply (h…