2023 Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes › Title 26 - EMINENT DOMAIN › Chapter 9 - Special Damages for Displacement › Section 902 - Moving and related expenses of displaced persons

§ 902. Moving and related expenses of displaced persons.
(a) Reasonable expenses incurred.--
(1) A displaced person shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in moving the displaced person and the person's family and for the removal, transportation and reinstallation of personal property.
(i) Receipts shall be prima facie evidence of incurred reasonable moving expenses.
(ii) Any displaced person who is displaced from a dwelling may elect to receive, in lieu of reimbursement of incurred moving expenses, a moving expense and dislocation allowance determined according to a schedule established by the acquiring agency.
(2) As used in this subsection, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this paragraph:
"Displaced person." Includes a person who moves from real property or moves personal property:
(i) as a direct result of a written notice of intent to acquire or the acquisition of other real property, in whole or in part, on which the person conducts a business or farm operation for a program or project undertaken by an acquiring agency; or
(ii) as a direct result of rehabilitation, demolition or other displacing activity of other real property on which such person conducts a business or a farm operation under a program or project undertaken by an acquiring agency if the displacement is permanent.
(b) Damages for dislocation of business or farm operation.--
A displaced person who is displaced from a place of business or from a farm operation shall be entitled, in addition to any payment received under subsection (a), to damages for dislocation of business or farm operation as follows:
(1) Damages equal to the value in place of the personal property which:
(i) is not moved because of the discontinuance of the business or farm operation or the unavailability of a comparable site for relocation; or
(ii) cannot be moved without substantially destroying or diminishing its utility in the relocated business or farm operation.
(2) (i) In lieu of the damages provided in paragraph (1), at the option of the displaced person, an amount not to exceed $12,000 to be determined by taking 50% of the difference, if any, between the original cost of the personal property to the displaced person or the replacement cost of equivalent property at the time of sale, whichever is lower, and the net proceeds obtained by the displaced person at a commercially reasonable private or public sale.
(ii) If this option is selected, the displaced person shall give the acquiring agency not less than 60 days' notice in writing of intention to seek damages under this option.
(iii) The displaced person shall not, directly or indirectly, purchase any of the personal property at private sale. Inventory shall be paid for under this option only if the business is not relocated.
(3) Actual reasonable expenses in searching for a replacement business or farm.
(4) Actual reasonable expenses necessary to reestablish a displaced farm, nonprofit organization or small business at its new site, but not to exceed $25,000. Sites occupied solely by outdoor advertising signs, displays or devices do not qualify for this benefit.
(5) (i) In addition to damages under subsection (a) and paragraphs (1), (2), (3) or (4), damages in an amount equal to the average annual net earnings but not more than $60,000 nor less than $3,000.
(ii) Payment shall be made only if the business cannot be relocated without a substantial loss of profits and if the business is not part of a commercial enterprise having more than three other entities which are not being acquired by the acquiring agency and which are under the same ownership and are engaged in the same or similar business activities.
(iii) A person whose sole business at a dwelling from which the person is displaced is the rental of such property to others shall not qualify for a payment under this paragraph.
(iv) As used in this paragraph, the term "average annual net earnings" means one-half of any net earnings of the business or farm operation before Federal, State and local income taxes during the two taxable years immediately preceding the taxable year in which the business or farm operation moves from the real property acquired for a project and includes any compensation paid by the business or farm operation to the owner, a spouse or dependents during this period. The regulations promulgated under section 906 (relating to regulations) may designate another period determined to be more equitable for establishing average annual net earnings as long as the designated period does not produce a lesser payment than would be produced by use of the last two taxable years.
(Dec. 20, 2015, P.L.494, No.88, eff. imd.)
2015 Amendment.
Act 88 amended subsec. (b)(4).
Cross References.
Section 902 is referred to in sections 103, 507, 515, 521, 907 of this title.