Bill Text: IA HF150 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act authorizing the reduction of damages payable to an unresponsive property owner in condemnation proceedings and including applicability provisions.(Formerly HF 25.)

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-02-07 - Subcommittee: Garrett, Bousselot, and Weiner. S.J. 276. [HF150 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2023-HF150-Introduced.html
House File 150 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 150 BY COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY (SUCCESSOR TO HF 25) A BILL FOR An Act authorizing the reduction of damages payable to an 1 unresponsive property owner in condemnation proceedings and 2 including applicability provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1168HV (1) 90 md/jh
H.F. 150 Section 1. Section 6B.33, Code 2023, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 6B.33 Costs and attorney fees. 3 1. The acquiring agency shall pay all costs of the 4 assessment made by the commissioners and reasonable attorney 5 fees and costs, including the reasonable cost of one appraisal, 6 incurred by the condemnee as determined by the commissioners if 7 the award of the commissioners exceeds one hundred ten percent 8 of the final offer of the applicant prior to condemnation. 9 The condemnee shall submit an application for fees and costs 10 prior to adjournment of the final meeting of the compensation 11 commission held on the matter. The acquiring agency shall 12 file with the sheriff an affidavit setting forth the most 13 recent offer made to the person whose property is sought to be 14 condemned. Members of such commissions shall receive a per 15 diem of two hundred dollars and actual and necessary expenses 16 incurred in the performance of their official duties. The 17 acquiring agency shall reimburse the county sheriff for the per 18 diem and expense amounts paid by the sheriff to the members. 19 The acquiring agency shall reimburse the owner for the expenses 20 the owner incurred for recording fees, penalty costs for full 21 or partial prepayment of any preexisting recorded mortgage 22 entered into in good faith encumbering the property, and for 23 similar expenses incidental to conveying the property to the 24 acquiring agency. The acquiring agency shall also pay all 25 costs occasioned by the appeal, including reasonable attorney 26 fees and the reasonable cost incurred by the property owner for 27 one appraisal to be taxed by the court, unless on the trial 28 thereof the same or a lesser amount of damages is awarded than 29 was allowed by the tribunal from which the appeal was taken. 30 2. If the acquiring agency satisfies the requirements of 31 section 6B.57 relating to providing the notices and documents 32 required under this chapter, and the property owner fails to 33 timely respond to all, but not less than two, such notices, 34 documents, or other correspondence from the acquiring agency, 35 -1- LSB 1168HV (1) 90 md/jh 1/ 3
H.F. 150 the district court, or the compensation commission, the amount 1 of damages awarded to the property owner shall be reduced by 2 an amount equal to the additional actual costs incurred and 3 additional reasonable attorney fees paid by the acquiring 4 agency as a result of the property owner’s failure to timely 5 respond. If the acquiring agency’s additional actual costs 6 and additional reasonable attorney fees equal or exceed the 7 amount awarded by the compensation commission, upon filing 8 of the commissioner’s report with the sheriff, the acquiring 9 agency shall be deemed to have paid in full the damages awarded 10 without any further action. The consequence for failing to 11 timely respond to such notices and documents as provided in 12 this subsection shall be clearly stated on each notice or 13 document provided to the property owner. 14 Sec. 2. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to condemnation 15 proceedings for which the application filed under section 6B.3 16 is filed on or after July 1, 2023. 17 EXPLANATION 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 19 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 20 This bill provides that if an acquiring agency in a 21 condemnation proceeding satisfies the requirements of Code 22 section 6B.57 relating to providing the notices and documents 23 required under Code chapter 6B, and the property owner fails 24 to timely respond to all, but not less than two, such notices, 25 documents, or other correspondence from the acquiring agency, 26 the district court, or the compensation commission, the amount 27 of damages awarded to the property owner shall be reduced by 28 an amount equal to the additional actual costs incurred and 29 additional reasonable attorney fees paid by the acquiring 30 agency relating to the condemnation proceedings. The bill also 31 specifies conditions under which the acquiring agency is deemed 32 to have paid in full the damages awarded without any further 33 action. 34 The consequence for failing to timely respond to such 35 -2- LSB 1168HV (1) 90 md/jh 2/ 3
H.F. 150 notices and documents must be clearly stated on each notice or 1 document provided to the property owner. 2 The bill applies to condemnation proceedings for which the 3 application is filed on or after July 1, 2023. 4 -3- LSB 1168HV (1) 90 md/jh 3/ 3
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