(1) If a defendant requests a hearing pursuant to s. 74.041(3), said defendant may appear and be heard on all matters properly before the court which may be determined prior to the entry of the order of taking, including the jurisdiction of the court, the sufficiency of pleadings, whether the petitioner is properly exercising its delegated authority, and the amount to be deposited for the property sought to be appropriated. Any defendant failing to file a request for hearing shall waive any right to object to the order of taking, and title shall be vested in the petitioner, upon deposit as hereinafter provided, which date shall be the date of valuation.

(2) If a hearing is requested, the court shall make such order as it deems proper, securing to all parties the rights to which they may be entitled, not inconsistent with the provisions of this section. The court may make such orders in respect of encumbrances, liens, rents, taxes, assessments, insurance, amount of the good faith deposit, and other charges, if any, as shall be just and equitable. If the court finds that the petitioner is entitled to possession of the property prior to final judgment, it shall enter an order requiring the petitioner to deposit in the registry of the court such sum of money as will fully secure and fully compensate the persons entitled to compensation as ultimately determined by the final judgment. Said deposit shall not be less than the amount of the petitioner’s estimate of value, if the petitioner be the state or any agency thereof, any county, the city, or other public body; otherwise, double the amount of petitioner’s estimate of value.

(3) If a defendant requests a hearing pursuant to s. 74.041(3) and the petitioner is an electric utility that is seeking to appropriate property necessary for an electric generation plant, an associated facility of an electric generation plant, an electric substation, or a power line, it is the intent of the Legislature that the court, when practicable, conduct the hearing no more than 120 days after the petition is filed and issue its order of taking no more than 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing.

(4) The court may fix the time within which and the terms upon which the defendants shall be required to surrender possession to the petitioner, which time of possession shall be upon deposit for those defendants failing to file a request for hearing as provided herein. The order of taking shall not become effective unless the deposit of the required sum is made in the registry of the court. If the deposit is not made within 20 days from the date of the order of taking, the order shall be void and of no further effect. The clerk is authorized to invest such deposits so as to earn the highest interest obtainable under the circumstances in state or national financial institutions in Florida insured by the Federal Government. Ninety percent of the interest earned shall be allocated in accordance with the ultimate ownership in the deposit.

History.—s. 4, ch. 65-369; s. 1, ch. 67-34; ss. 1, 3, ch. 67-370; s. 1, ch. 70-365; s. 2, ch. 82-117; s. 39, ch. 85-180; s. 1, ch. 2008-227; s. 1, ch. 2013-23.