Opinion ID: 1394023
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Condemnation SuitJurisdictional Requirements

Text: Our Legislature has enacted a comprehensive statutory scheme that governs the State's eminent-domain power, and the jurisdictional requirements the State must meet before it can condemn property. TEX. PROP.CODE §§ 21.001-.065; Tex. Transp. Code § 203.051. In Texas, the State's filing a condemnation petition begins the legal proceedings by which the State acquires private property for public use. TEX. PROP.CODE § 21.012. A condemnation action is divided into two distinct stages. The first stage is administrative and involves a hearing before three special commissioners appointed by the trial court where the State files its condemnation petition. See TEX. PROP.CODE §§ 21.014-.015; Patrick Media Group, Inc. v. Dallas Area Rapid Transit, 879 S.W.2d 375, 376 (Tex. App.-Eastland 1994, writ denied). After a hearing, the commissioners make findings and determine the condemnation-damages award. TEX. PROP.CODE §§ 21.014, 21.018. The commissioners' hearing is neither a suit at law nor a case in equity. Pearson v. State, 159 Tex. 66, 315 S.W.2d 935, 937 (1958) (quoting Fortune v. Killebrew, 86 Tex. 172, 23 S.W. 976, 978 (1893)). It is not until a party objects to the commissioners' award, or the time for objecting expires, that the case proceeds to the second stage as a judicial proceeding in the trial court. See Tex. Prop.Code § 21.018; Amason v. Natural Gas Pipeline Co., 682 S.W.2d 240, 242 (Tex.1984); Pearson, 315 S.W.2d at 937. Our condemnation jurisprudence mandates that the landowner receive notice of the condemnation hearing in strict compliance with the statutory requirements. City of Houston v. Kunze, 153 Tex. 42, 262 S.W.2d 947, 951 (1953); Parker v. Fort Worth & Denver City Ry. Co., 84 Tex. 333, 19 S.W. 518, 519 (1892); McIntyre v. Luker, 77 Tex. 259, 13 S.W. 1027, 1028 (1890). Under the Property Code, each party is entitled to written notice of the time and place of the commissioners' hearing, served at least eleven days before the hearing by a person competent to testify. TEX. PROP.CODE § 21.016. A person is competent to testify unless the court determines he or she is (1) insane as our rules of evidence define, or (2) a child or any other person who the court finds does not possess sufficient intellect to testify. TEX.R. EVID. 601. Moreover, a person is not competent to testify about a matter unless evidence shows the person has personal knowledge of that matter. TEX.R. EVID. 602; see also Loper v. Andrews, 404 S.W.2d 300, 305 (Tex.1966); Strickland Transp. Co. v. Ingram, 403 S.W.2d 192, 195 (Tex.Civ.App.-Texarkana 1966, writ dism'd). The person who serves the notice must return the original notice to the commissioners on or before the hearing date, and that person shall write a return of service on the notice that states how and when the notice was served. Tex. Prop.Code § 21.016(c). Absent the landowner's waiver or stipulation, the State has the burden to prove exact adherence with the Property Code's condemnation-proceeding requirements to demonstrate jurisdiction. See Denton County v. Brammer, 361 S.W.2d 198, 200 (Tex.1962); Kunze, 262 S.W.2d at 951; Parker, 19 S.W. at 519. Thus, if notice of the commissioners' hearing was never properly served under the Property Code, the commissioners' condemnation-damages award is invalid and the trial court lacks jurisdiction. Kunze, 262 S.W.2d at 951; Parker, 19 S.W. at 519; McIntyre, 13 S.W. at 1028; Anderson v. Clajon Gas Co., 677 S.W.2d 702, 704 (Tex.Civ.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1984, no writ); Maberry v. Pedernales Elec. Coop., 493 S.W.2d 268, 270 (Tex.Civ.App.-Austin 1973, writ ref'd n.r.e.); Bowie County v. Powell, 66 S.W. 237, 237-38 (Tex.Civ.App.1901, no writ). In meeting its burden to prove proper notice and thus jurisdiction in a condemnation proceeding, the State may not rely solely on recitations in the commissioners' award or other documents in the court's file, including the return itself. Kunze, 262 S.W.2d at 951; Parker, 19 S.W. at 519. And, if the State does not prove effective notice, the trial court must dismiss the proceeding: Inasmuch as condemnation proceedings are special in their character and involve a summary taking of property from its owner, it is the settled rule that they must be conducted in strict accordance with the governing statutes. It follows that condemnation proceedings in which the statutes have been ignored are wholly void, and, when the occasion therefor arises, the court will hold them to be void of its own motion. State v. Davis, 139 S.W.2d 638, 640 (Tex. Civ.App.-Eastland 1940, writ dism'd) (quoting 16 Tex. Jur. 700 § 95); see also Kunze, 262 S.W.2d at 951; McIntyre 13 S.W. at 1028. We liberally construe the Property Code's protections for the landowner's benefit. John v. State, 826 S.W.2d 138, 140 (Tex.1992). If the trial court grants a landowner's motion to dismiss based on the State not having a right to condemn the land, it may award the landowner reasonable and necessary fees for attorneys, appraisers, and photographers and for the other expenses incurred by the property owner to the date of the hearing or judgment. TEX. PROP.CODE § 21.019(c).