(a) Parties Any party who has appeared at the hearings of the commissioners, either personally or through an attorney, may appeal from the award of the commissioners. Such appeal shall be taken within the period and in the manner provided by the rules. The necessary parties to the appeal shall be only such parties who have appeared at the commissioners' hearings. Other parties may be admitted by the court pursuant to the rules.(b) Hearing on appeal The hearing on appeal shall be a trial de novo, as in other actions at law, without a jury, unless a jury be demanded. The award of the commissioners shall not be admitted in evidence.(c) Limited discovery A valuation expert who has not testified at the hearing before the commissioners shall not be permitted to testify at the trial de novo, unless, within 15 days before trial the party offering such testimony gives notice to the other parties to the appeal of the name and address of such expert and his opinion of the amount of compensation and information relative to comparable sales as required by the rules. The information required by the rules shall be supplied as to all additional comparable sales not previously testified to before commissioners.(d) Payment of amount of judgment on appeal; right to possession; lien; other remedies The amount of the judgment on the appeal, or so much thereof as shall not have been paid, shall be paid to the parties entitled thereto or paid into court. If possession shall not have been taken theretofore, the condemnor, upon payment as aforesaid, may notwithstanding any further appeal or other proceedings, take possession of the lands or other property for the purposes for which the same was authorized to be taken.