Iowa Code § 6B.54 — IA Code / Title I / Chapter 6B / Section 6B.54
Acquisition policies for acquiring agencies.
Status: in_force

For any public use, public purpose, or public improvement for which condemnation is sought, an acquiring agency shall, at a minimum, satisfy the following policies:

(1) Every reasonable and good faith effort shall be made to acquire expeditiously real property by negotiation as provided in section 6B.2B.

(2) Real property shall be appraised as required by section 6B.45 before the initiation of negotiations, and the owner or the owner’s designated representative shall be given an opportunity to accompany at least one appraiser of the acquiring agency during an inspection of the property, except that an acquiring agency may prescribe a procedure to waive the appraisal in cases involving the acquisition of property with a low fair market value. In lieu of an appraisal, a utility or person under the jurisdiction of the utilities commission, or any other utility conferred the right by statute to condemn private property, shall provide in writing by certified mail to the owner of record thirty days before negotiations, the methods and factors used in arriving at an offered price for voluntary easements including the range of cash amount of each component.

(3) Before the initiation of negotiations for real property, the acquiring agency shall establish an amount which it believes to be just compensation for the real property, and shall make a prompt offer to acquire the property for the full amount established by the agency. In no event shall the amount be less than the fair market value the acquiring agency has established for the property or property interest pursuant to the appraisal required in section 6B.45 or less than the value determined under the acquiring agency’s waiver procedure established pursuant to subsection 2. A purchase offer made by an acquiring agency shall include provisions for payment to the owner of expenses, including relocation expenses, expenses listed in subsection 10, and other expenses required by law to be paid by an acquiring agency to a condemnee. However, in the alternative, the acquiring agency may make, and the owner may accept, a purchase offer from the acquiring agency that is an amount equal to one hundred thirty percent of the appraisal amount plus payment to the owner of expenses listed in subsection 10, once those expenses have been determined. If the owner accepts such a purchase offer, the owner is barred from claiming payment from the acquiring agency for any other expenses allowed by law. In the case of a utility or person under the jurisdiction of the utilities commission, or any other utility conferred the right by statute to condemn private property, the amount shall not be less than the amount indicated by the methods and factors used in arriving at an offered price for a voluntary easement. The option to make an alternative purchase offer does not apply when property is being acquired for street and highway projects undertaken by the state, a county, or a city.

(4) The construction or development of a public improvement shall be so scheduled that, to the greatest extent practicable, no person lawfully occupying real property shall be required to move from a dwelling or to move the person’s business or farm operation without at least ninety days’ written notice of the date by which the move is required.

(5) If after damages have been finally determined and paid, an owner or tenant is permitted to occupy the real property acquired on a rental basis for a short term or for a period subject to termination on short notice, the amount of rent required shall not exceed the fair rental value of the property to a short-term occupier.

(6) In no event shall the time of condemnation be advanced, or negotiations or condemnation and the deposit of funds in court for the use of the owner be deferred, or any other coercive action be taken to compel an agreement on the price to be paid for the property.

(7) If an interest in real property is to be acquired by exercise of the power of eminent domain, formal condemnation proceedings shall be instituted. The acquiring agency shall not intentionally make it necessary for an owner to institute legal proceedings to prove the fact of the taking of the owner’s real property.

(8) If the acquisition of only a portion of property would leave the owner with an uneconomical remnant, the acquiring agency shall offer to acquire that remnant. For the purposes of this chapter, an “uneconomical remnant” is a parcel of real property in which the owner is left with an interest after the partial acquisition of the owner’s property, where the acquiring agency determines that the parcel has little or no value or utility to the owner.

(9) A person whose real property is being acquired in accordance with this chapter, after the person has been fully informed of the person’s right to receive just compensation for the property, may donate the property, any part of the property, any interest in the property, or any compensation paid for it as the person may determine.

(10) (a) As soon as practicable after the date of payment of the purchase price or the date of deposit in court of funds to satisfy the award of compensation in a condemnation proceeding to acquire real property, whichever is earlier, the acquiring agency shall reimburse the owner, to the extent the acquiring agency deems fair and reasonable, for expenses the owner necessarily incurred for all of the following:

(10) (a) Recording fees, transfer taxes, and similar expenses incidental to conveying the real property to the acquiring agency.

(10) (a) Penalty costs for full or partial prepayment of any preexisting recorded mortgage entered into in good faith encumbering the real property.

(10) (b) Payments and expenditures under this subsection are incident to and arise out of the program or project for which the acquisition activity takes place. Such payments and expenditures may be made from the funds made available for the program or project.

(10) (c) A person aggrieved by a determination as to the eligibility for or amount of a reimbursement may apply to have the matter reviewed by the acquiring agency or in accordance with section 316.9 if applicable.

(11) An owner shall not be required to surrender possession of real property before the acquiring agency concerned pays the agreed purchase price.

(12) After damages have been finally determined and paid, the acquiring agency may offer, and the owner may accept, an amount equal to thirty percent of the amount of damages plus payment to the owner of expenses listed in subsection 10, once those expenses have been determined. If the owner accepts such an offer, the owner is barred from claiming payment from the acquiring agency for any other expenses allowed by law. This subsection does not apply when property is being acquired for street and highway projects undertaken by the state, a county, or a city.

89 Acts, ch 20, §19CS89, §472.54C93, §6B.5499 Acts, ch 171, §19, 20, 422006 Acts, 1st Ex, ch 1001, §18, 492008 Acts, ch 1032, §2012023 Acts, ch 19, §2656; 2024 Acts, ch 1170, §369