Rule 301 - BOARDS OF VIEWERS(a) COMPOSITION AND APPOINTMENT OF BOARDS OF VIEWERS PURSUANT TO 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 2142The President Judge shall appoint the members of the Board of Viewers for a term of office of not less than three nor more than six years. The members shall be adult residents of Schuylkill County and at least one-third of the members shall be members of the bar of the Commonwealth. The President Judge shall fill the vacancy in an unexpired term of a board member. All appointments shall be subject to the power of the President Judge to remove members without cause and to appoint successors.
(b) PETITIONS FOR APPOINTMENT OF A BOARD OF VIEWERS Petitions for appointment of a panel of the Board of Viewers shall be accompanied by a praecipe to transmit pursuant to Sch.R.C.P. 205.2(b) and shall comply with Sch.R.C.P. 206.1(a). In case of a vacancy in the panel appointed in a specific case before the panel takes its final action, the President Judge shall fill such vacancy by appointing another member of the Board of Viewers to the panel.
(c) APPEALS FROM DECISION OF VIEWERS Any party who appeals to the Court from the decision of the Viewers shall comply with 26 Pa. C.S.A. § 517, and shall file a praecipe to transmit pursuant to Sch. R.C.P. 205.2(b).
(d) STENOGRAPHIC NOTES (1) Stenographic notes of a hearing shall be taken and a transcript prepared for the Viewers' use whenever the Viewers decide such is necessary. The cost of taking the stenographic notes and of the original transcript shall be paid by the County. An interested party may obtain a copy of the transcript upon payment of such sum fixed from time to time by the Court.(2) Whenever, in the opinion of the Viewers, it is not necessary to have stenographic notes taken, but an interested party has stenographic notes of a hearing taken, that party shall pay for the taking and/or the transcribing of the stenographic notes if ordered by that party. However, in the event the Viewers elect to have the notes transcribed, the cost of the original transcript shall be paid by the County, and an interested party may obtain a copy of the transcript upon payment of such sum fixed from time to time by the Court.(3) Arrangements for the taking and transcription of stenographic notes shall be made exclusively through the Court Reporters Office of the Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas.(e) COMPENSATION OF VIEWERS (1) Compensation of Viewers shall be on a case by case basis in an amount fixed by the Court. The Chairman of the Board of Viewers shall file a petition for compensation of the Viewers directed to the President Judge at the time the Report of the Board of Viewers is filed.(2) Compensation approved by the President Judge pursuant to a Petition for Compensation shall be paid to the Viewers by the County. Amended effective 3/1/2021; revised 2/23/2022; amended effective 2/1/2024.