S-0048.2  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5145

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Senators Patterson and Winsley

Read first time 01/14/1999.  Referred to Committee on State & Local Government.

Revising conditions for award of fees in condemnation actions.

    AN ACT Relating to award of fees in condemnation actions; and amending RCW 8.25.070.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 8.25.070 and 1984 c 129 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3) of this section, if a trial is held for the fixing of the amount of compensation to be awarded to the owner or party having an interest in the property being condemned, the court shall award the condemnee reasonable attorney's fees and reasonable expert witness fees in the event of any of the following:

    (a) If condemnor fails to make any written offer in settlement to condemnee at least thirty days prior to commencement of said trial; or

    (b) If the judgment awarded as a result of the trial exceeds by ten percent or more the highest written offer in settlement submitted to those condemnees appearing in the action by condemnor in effect thirty days before the trial.

    (2) The attorney general or other attorney representing a condemnor in effecting a settlement of an eminent domain proceeding ((may)) shall allow to the condemnee reasonable attorney's fees.

    (3) Reasonable attorney's fees and reasonable expert witness fees authorized by this section shall be awarded only if the condemnee stipulates, if requested to do so in writing by the condemnor, to an order of immediate possession and use of the property being condemned within thirty days after receipt of the written request, or within fifteen days after the entry of an order adjudicating public use whichever is later and thereafter delivers possession of the property to the condemnor ((upon)) within ninety days after the deposit in court of a warrant sufficient to pay the amount offered as provided by law.  In the event, however, the condemnor does not request the condemnee to stipulate to an order of immediate possession and use prior to trial, the condemnee shall be entitled to an award of reasonable attorney's fees and reasonable expert witness fees as authorized by subsections (1) and (2) of this section.

    (4) Reasonable attorney's fees as authorized in this section shall not exceed the general trial rate, per day customarily charged for general trial work by the condemnee's attorney for actual trial time and his or her hourly rate for preparation including fees incurred prior to the condemnor's filing of the petition.  Reasonable expert witness fees as authorized in this section shall not exceed the customary rates obtaining in the county by the hour for investigation and research and by the day or half day for trial attendance.

    (5) In no event may any offer in settlement be referred to or used during the trial for any purpose in determining the amount of compensation to be paid for the property.

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