Upon the filing of the petition provided for in the preceding section, summons shall issue thereon and be served on the owners of all lands described in the petition as having been benefited, in the same manner as summons is issued and served in the original proceedings for the determination of damages and benefits by reason of a proposed drainage improvement, as near as may be. No answer to any such petition shall be required unless the party served with summons desires to offset damages claimed to have been actually sustained by reason of the completed improvement in addition to the damages found by the jury in the original proceeding, and no default judgment shall be taken for failure to answer any such petition.