No suit shall be maintained in any of the courts of this state to recover damages against any local board, its officers or agents, on proceedings instituted to remove and abate such nuisances and cause of disease, unless it shall be shown in the suit that the alleged nuisance and cause of disease did not exist, or was not hazardous and prejudicial to the public health, and unless it be shown that the board acted without reasonable and probable cause to believe that such nuisance did exist and that such foul or noxious odors, gases, vapors or other cause was in fact prejudicial and hazardous to the public health.
N.J.S. § 26:3-52