Whenever any town fails to keep any highway within such town in good and sufficient repair or whenever the selectmen of any town fail to remove or cause to be removed any encroachments upon any highway in such town or to make such alterations or improvements therein as may be required by common convenience or necessity, the superior court for the judicial district in which such highway is located, upon the written complaint of six or more citizens of this state under oath, after due inquiry made by it, shall appoint a time and place when and where all persons interested may appear and be heard upon the propriety of such repairs, or of the removal of such encroachments, or of the making of such alterations and improvements. If a time and place for hearing is set by the court, the clerk shall deliver to the complainants or their attorneys the documents set forth in this section for service by a proper officer. Notice shall be given to the first selectman of such town and to the person or persons maintaining such encroachments by causing a true and attested copy of such complaint, accompanied with a summons notifying such parties of such time and place, to be left with each of such parties, or at his usual place of abode, by some proper officer at least six days inclusive before the day appointed for the hearing; but, before issuing any summons on such complaint, the court shall require of the complainants a sufficient bond for costs to the adverse parties and may, any time thereafter, require further bond for such costs. If the court finds that such highway should be repaired or that such encroachments should be removed or that such alterations and improvements should be made, it shall order the selectmen of such town to cause such highway to be repaired and such encroachments to be removed and such alterations and improvements to be made, and shall prescribe the manner and extent of such repairs and of the removal of such encroachments and of the making of such alterations and improvements and the time within which the work shall be done, and may, for reasonable cause, extend such time. The court shall assess the benefits resulting from such repairs or removal of encroachments or such alterations and improvements against any of the parties to be benefited, including such town. Such benefits as to such parties other than such town may be collected in the same manner as town taxes are collected.