Title VI — COUNTY, TOWNSHIP AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISION GOVERNMENT

47.010. County may be subdivided into townships — changes. — Each county commission may divide the county into convenient townships, and as occasion may require erect new townships, subdivide townships already established, organize better township lines, and may, upon the petitio…

47.020. Description of townships to be recorded — where. — The commission shall, within thirty days after establishing any township, transmit to the office of the secretary of state a description of such township, containing the name and boundaries thereof, and shall cause the cl…

47.030. Removal of county seat — vote of people. — Whenever one-fourth of the voters of any county shall petition the county commission for a removal of the seat of justice of such county to any other designated place, the commission shall make an order directing that the questio…

47.040. County seat commissioners to be appointed if proposition adopted. — If it shall appear by such election that two-thirds of the voters of the county, voting on the question, are in favor of the removal of the county seat of such county, then the county commission shall app…

47.050. County seat commissioners — appointment — notice of meetings. — The county commission shall grant to each person so appointed a certificate thereof, under the seal of the county commission, appoint a time and place when and where the commissioners shall assemble, cause a …

47.060. Meeting of commissioners to find new county seat. — It shall be the duty of the commissioners to assemble accordingly; and if a majority do not appear according to such notice, those appearing shall publicly adjourn to some other day, and so on, as often as may be necessa…

47.070. Oath of county seat commissioners. — It shall be the duty of each commissioner, before entering upon the duties herein assigned him, to take an oath that he will faithfully perform the duties of commissioner, a certificate of which shall be endorsed on the paper evidencin…

47.080. County seat commissioners to select new county seat, where. — When the commissioners, or a majority of them, shall have been duly qualified, they shall select the most suitable place in said county, within one mile of the place designated in the petition, whereon to erect…

47.090. May purchase land. — The commissioners, or a majority of them, may purchase not less than fifty nor more than one hundred and sixty acres of land, and may receive as a donation such parcels of land or town lots, including the place selected as a seat of justice for said c…

47.100. Donation of money or buildings may be accepted. — If the commissioners shall, in any case, select a place already laid out into town lots, they may accept a donation, in money or public buildings, in lieu of land or town lots. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 13744) Prior revision…

47.110. Deed to be executed. — The vendor or donor shall execute and deliver to the commissioners a good and sufficient deed or deeds conveying to the county the land or lands so sold or given, in fee simple, without reservation or condition, and shall also deliver an abstract of…

47.120. Report of county seat commissioners to circuit court — proceedings thereon. — The commissioners shall make report of their proceedings, accompanied by the deed, abstract and evidence of title to said land, to the circuit court, at the next term thereof; if the judge appro…

47.130. Purchase money, how paid. — If the land or any part thereof was purchased, the county commission shall make an order that the consideration money be paid out of the first proceeds of the sale of the lots to be laid out on such lands, and the clerk shall grant to the vendo…

47.140. Proceedings where title is not approved. — If the title to such lands be not approved by the circuit court, the deed shall be of no effect, and shall be returned, together with the title papers, to the donor or vendor, and the commissioners shall proceed to make some othe…

47.150. Vacancy in county seat commission, how filled. — If any of the commissioners die, resign, refuse or neglect to act, the county commission may appoint others in their stead, who shall take the same oath, possess the same powers and perform the like duties as if originally …

47.160. Compensation of county seat commissioner. — Each commissioner shall be entitled to receive three dollars for each day he shall be employed in discharging any of the duties enjoined by this chapter. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 13746) Prior revisions: 1929 § 12087; 1919 § 9487;…

47.170. On removal of county seat, commissioner to be appointed. — Whenever any seat of justice shall be removed, the county commission shall appoint a commissioner thereof, who, before entering upon the duties of his office, shall take an oath that he will faithfully demean hims…

47.180. Bond, where deposited, recorded. — Such bond shall be deposited with the clerk of the county commission of such county, and shall be by him recorded; and such record, or a copy thereof, certified under the seal of such tribunal, shall be evidence in any court of this stat…

47.190. Town may be laid off into lots. — If no town shall have been laid off at the place selected as the permanent county seat, the county commission shall order the same, or so much thereof as it shall deem expedient, to be laid off; or if such tribunal shall deem it expedient…

47.200. Sales and reservations of lots. — The county commission shall reserve from sale lots and squares of ground, wherever it may be necessary to erect county buildings, and shall, from time to time, order the sale of the residue, prescribing the terms of such sale, and the com…

47.210. Purchase money of lots, how secured. — When any credit shall be given upon the sale of any lot for any part of the purchase money, the purchaser shall give his note or bond with sufficient sureties to the commissioner, for the use of the county, to secure the payment of e…

47.220. Commissioner for removal of the county seat to make deed, when. — When any payment shall be made, the commissioner shall endorse the receipt on such certificate, if required, and give credit for such amount on the bond or note, and when full payment shall be made of the p…

47.230. Proceedings on default of payment for lots. — If default be made in the payment of the purchase money of any lot, or any part thereof, according to the terms of sale, or the tenor and effect of any bond or note given to secure the same, such lot shall be forfeited to the …

47.240. Prosecuting attorney to prosecute actions. — The prosecuting attorneys, respectively, shall commence and prosecute all such actions within their respective counties. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 13686) Prior revisions: 1929 § 12027; 1919 § 9429; 1909 § 3646

47.250. Forfeited lots, how redeemed. — The holder of any certificate of sale of any such forfeited lot may redeem the lot at any time before the sale by paying the commissioner the whole amount then due, with interest, together with the expense of advertising, and compensation o…

47.260. Accounts to be kept by commissioner for removal of the county seat — settlements. — The commissioner of any county seat shall keep regular and systematic accounts of all sales by him made, showing the lots sold, the names of purchasers, the amount paid, the balance to be …

47.270. Purchase money from sales of lots, how applied. — The money arising from the sales of lots, after paying all the expenses accruing in the selection of the county seat, in laying out the town and selling lots, shall be applied, first, to paying for the land purchased, if a…

47.280. County commission to supervise commissioner for removal of the county seat. — The county commission of each county in which a commissioner of county seat shall be appointed shall have a superintending control over such commissioner, and may make such orders, from time to …

47.290. Compensation of commissioner to find new county seat. — The commissioner of the county seat shall receive for his services such compensation for laying out lots as such county commission shall deem just and reasonable, and a commission of four percent upon all moneys accr…

47.300. Notice of the holding of courts at new county seat. — As soon as convenient buildings for the holding of courts, together with a good and sufficient jail, can be had at such new seat of justice, the county commission shall notify the judges of the several courts holden in…

[Repealed or reserved.]

47.320. Upon division — payment of indebtedness. — Whenever any new county is formed from territory taken from one or more older counties, or whenever any territory is taken from one county and attached to another, the new county so formed, or the territory so stricken off, shall…

47.330. Actions — where and how prosecuted in case of division of county. — When a new county shall be established, or any county line altered, all suits, actions, process, prosecutions and proceedings, civil and criminal, commenced before any court before the time of separation …

47.340. Personal representatives of estate — conservators, settlements, where made. — All personal representatives and conservators, who by the establishment of a new county, or the alteration of county lines, shall cease to be inhabitants of the county in which they were appoint…

47.350. Transfer of unsettled accounts of personal representatives or conservators, when — procedure. — The courts in which the accounts of any such personal representative or conservator remain to be settled, upon good cause shown, may transfer such accounts to the proper court …