HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1506

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Judiciary

Title:  An act relating to payments to defray costs of evaluating the offer of a condemnor.

Brief Description:  Adjusting condemnation offer evaluation cost limits.

Sponsors:  Representatives DeBolt, K. Schmidt, Murray, Fisher and Mielke.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Judiciary:  2/12/99, 2/22/99 [DPA].

             Brief Summary of Amended Bill

$Increases the amount a land owner can receive for evaluation expenditures when his or her land is being taken.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 12 members:  Representatives Carrell, Republican Co-Chair; Constantine, Democratic Co-Chair; Hurst, Democratic Vice Chair; Lambert, Republican Vice Chair; Cox; Dickerson; Esser; Kastama; Lantz; Lovick; McDonald and Schindler.

Staff:  Jim Morishima (786-7191).

Background:

Under the power of eminent domain, state and local governments may acquire title to land without the owner's consent.  The land must be taken for some legitimate public purpose, and the owner of the land must receive just compensation for his or her loss.  In most cases, this compensation equals the fair market value of the land.

An owner of land will sometimes make expenditures when evaluating the offer made by the entity taking the land (the condemnor).  If that is the case, the condemnor must reimburse the owner for these evaluation expenditures.  However, reimbursement for the expenditures may not exceed $200. 

Summary of Amended Bill:

Reimbursement for the owner's evaluation expenditures may not exceed $750.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The original bill raised the amount an owner could receive for evaluation expenditures to $750 only when the state was the condemnor.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Amended Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  (Original bill) The limit on how much an owner can be reimbursed for evaluation expenditures has not been updated since 1967.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  (In support) Representative DeBolt, prime sponsor; and T.K. Bentler, Appraisers Coalition of Washington.

(In support with amendment) George Walk, Pierce County.