Short answer. Court-appointed commissioners. Once the court issues an order of expropriation, it appoints not more than three competent and disinterested persons as commissioners to ascertain and report the just compensation for the property, with the court itself acting on their report.
What the law says
Upon the rendition of the order of expropriation, the court shall appoint not more than three competent and disinterested persons as commissioners to ascertain and report to the court the just compensation for the property sought to be taken.
Rule 67, Section 5 — Ascertainment of compensation. Read the full provision →
Commissioners, not the government agency taking the property, ascertain compensation
Once the court has issued the order of expropriation, it appoints not more than three competent and disinterested persons as commissioners specifically to ascertain and report to the court the just compensation for the property. The compensation figure is not simply proposed by the expropriating government agency and accepted outright — it goes through this independent commissioner process instead.
The commissioners must be disinterested
The rule requires the commissioners to be competent and disinterested. This is meant to keep the valuation genuinely independent of both the government entity seeking the property and the landowner losing it — someone with a real stake in the outcome, on either side, would not fit the role this rule genuinely describes or was designed to allow.
The requirement of disinterest is what gives the resulting compensation figure real credibility with both sides of the dispute, rather than leaving one party to feel the process was tilted against it.
The process has its own schedule and objection procedure
The order appointing the commissioners shall designate the time and place of the first session of the hearing and specify the time within which their report shall be submitted to the court, with copies served on the parties. Any objections to the appointment of any of the commissioners shall be filed with the court within ten days from service, and must be resolved within thirty days after all the commissioners have received copies of those objections.
These fixed deadlines keep the compensation process moving rather than letting it stall indefinitely once commissioners are named.
Why this commissioner process matters to a landowner
A landowner facing expropriation is not simply told what the government will pay — the amount goes through this structured process involving independent commissioners appointed by the court, with a real opportunity to object to who is appointed. Understanding this process, and the deadlines built into it, matters for a landowner who wants a genuine say in how just compensation for their property is ultimately determined and finally fixed by the court.