(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), whenever in the judgment of the council, commission, or other governing body of a city or town it may be necessary or expedient for the carrying out and full exercise of any power granted by the applicable provisions of this title or any other applicable provision of law, the town or city shall have full power and authority to acquire by purchase the necessary lands or rights, easements, or interests therein, thereunder, or thereover or, for the purposes for which private property may be acquired by condemnation, may proceed to condemn the same in the manner provided by this article, or by the general laws of this state governing the taking of lands or the acquiring of interests therein for the uses for which private property may be taken, and such proceedings shall be governed in every respect by the general laws of this state pertaining thereto or by the provisions on the subject contained in this article when the same are followed.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a municipality or county may not condemn property for the purposes of private retail, office, commercial, industrial, or residential development; primarily for enhancement of tax revenue; for transfer to a person, nongovernmental entity, public-private partnership, corporation, or other business entity; or for the primary purpose of acquiring a mortgage or deed of trust. Provided, however, the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the use of eminent domain by any municipality, housing authority, or other public entity based upon a finding of blight in an area covered by any redevelopment plan or urban renewal plan pursuant to Chapters 2 and 3 of Title 24, provided the primary purpose of the use of eminent domain pursuant to Chapters 2 and 3 of Title 24 is not primarily to acquire a mortgage or deed of trust, but just compensation, in all cases, shall continue to be first made to the owner. Nothing in this article shall limit the exercise of eminent domain by or for the benefit of public utilities or other entities engaged in the generation, transmission, or distribution of telephone, gas, electricity, water, sewer, or other utility products or services. Nothing in this article shall be interpreted to prohibit a municipal or county governing body from exercising the power of eminent domain to condemn real property, irrespective of whether the property may be subject to a mortgage or deed of trust, for the purpose of constructing, maintaining, or operating streets and roadways, government buildings, or park and recreation facilities.
(c) Property condemned pursuant to the authorizations as described in subsections (a) and (b), if not ever used for the purpose or purposes for which it was condemned or for some other public use, that is subsequently determined to be sold, shall be first offered for sale to the person or persons from whom the property was condemned, or his or her known or ascertainable heirs or assigns, at the price which was paid for the property, less such amount, if any, as the person or persons from whom the property was condemned shall show by good and sufficient documentation to be the amount of income and transaction taxes, if any, actually paid in connection therewith, and if the offer shall not be accepted within 90 days from the date it is made, the property may be sold to any other person, but only at public sale after legal notice is given.
Last modified: May 3, 2021