Opinion ID: 1918706
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: whether the condemner must follow the real property acquisition policies law when public funds are used in the project.

Text: ¶ 19. Title 43, Chapter 37, Section 1 et seq. is entitled Real Property Acquisition Policies Law. Miss.Code Ann. § 43-37-1 (1993). The provisions of this chapter shall be applicable only to the acquisition of real property under the laws of this state for use in any project or program in which federal funds are used. Id. ¶ 20. The District argues that this chapter does not apply to the alternative, chancery court procedure of securing easements utilized by the District. Its first argument is that the District operates under statutes specifically designed for drainage districts, so under the rules of statutory construction, the more specific law controls. It cites Kilgore v. Barnes, 508 So.2d 1042, 1046 (Miss.1987), to support this contention. In Kilgore the Court analyzed two statutes that were in direct conflict. In this case, there is no direct conflict. ¶ 21. The Real Property Acquisition Policies Law governs any acquisition of real property for use in any project in which federal funds are used. The statute does not state that the funds must be used in the actual acquisition of the needed property. There is no dispute that although the District is not using federal funds to acquire the necessary easements, it will use federal funds in the actual construction of the project. Therefore, the Real Properties Acquisition Policies Law is applicable to the case at bar and its requirements must be satisfied. ¶ 22. The main contention by the appellants is that the District did not make all necessary efforts to negotiate with the landowner before instituting a lawsuit. Section 43-37-3(a) (1993) requires that [e]very reasonable effort shall be made to acquire expeditiously real property by negotiation. The District argues that it satisfied this requirement when it made written offers to the landowners, including a full disclosure and breakdown of each component of the just compensation figure. Mr. Cain did not respond to this offer, thereby foreclosing any further negotiation. The Branamans were only given five days to even consider this offer before a formal suit was filed. However, as the District points out, the Branamans rejected the offer within that time period. After careful consideration, we find that the District satisfied these requirements.