Appraisers; oath and duty
Sec. 9. (a) Each appraiser shall take an oath that:
(1) the appraiser has no interest in the matter; and
(2) the appraiser will honestly and impartially make the
assessment.
(b) After the appraisers are sworn as provided in subsection (a),
the judge shall instruct the appraisers as to:
(1) their duties as appraisers; and
(2) the measure of the damages and benefits, if any, they allow.
(c) The appraisers shall determine and report all of the following:
(1) The fair market value of each parcel of property sought to
be acquired and the value of each separate estate or interest in
the property.
(2) The fair market value of all improvements pertaining to the
property, if any, on the portion of the property to be acquired.
(3) The damages, if any, to the residue of the property of the
owner or owners caused by taking out the part sought to be
acquired.
(4) The other damages, if any, that will result to any persons
from the construction of the improvements in the manner
proposed by the plaintiff.
(d) If the property is sought to be acquired by the state or by a
county for a public highway or a municipal corporation for a public
use that confers benefits on any property of the owner, the report
must also state the benefits that will accrue to each parcel of
property, set opposite the description of each parcel of property
whether described in the complaint or not.
(e) Except as provided in subsection (f), in estimating the
damages specified in subsection (c), the appraisers may not deduct
for any benefits that may result from the improvement.
(f) In the case of a condemnation by the state or by a county for
a public highway or a municipal corporation for public use, the
appraisers shall deduct any benefits assessed from the amount of
damage allowed, if any, under subsection (c)(3) and (c)(4) and the
difference, if any, plus the damages allowed under subsection (c)(1)
and (c)(2) shall be the amount of the award. However, the damages
awarded may not be less than the damages allowed under subsection
(c)(1) and (c)(2). Upon the trial of exceptions to the award by either
party, a like measure of damages must be followed.
(g) For the purpose of assessing compensation and damages, the
right to compensation and damages is considered to have accrued as
of the date of the service of the notice provided in section 6 of this
chapter, and actual value of compensation and damages at that date
shall be:
(1) the measure of compensation for all property to be actually
acquired; and
(2) the basis of damages to property not actually acquired but
injuriously affected;
except as to the damages stated in subsection (c)(4).
As added by P.L.2-2002, SEC.9.
Last modified: May 24, 2006