Sec. 25. All agencies shall, to the greatest extent practicable, be guided by the following policies:

(1) The agency shall make every reasonable effort to acquire expeditiously real property by negotiation.

(2) Real property shall be appraised before the initiation of negotiations, and the owner or a designated representative shall be given an opportunity to accompany the appraiser during the inspection of the property.

(3) Before the initiation of negotiations for real property, the agency concerned shall establish an amount that it believes to be just compensation and shall make a prompt offer to acquire the property for the full amount established. The amount may not be less than the agency's approved appraisal of the fair market value of the property. A decrease or increase in the fair market value of real property before the date of valuation caused by the public improvement for which the property is acquired, or by the likelihood that the property would be acquired for the improvement, other than that due to physical deterioration within the reasonable control of the owner, will be disregarded in determining the compensation for the property. The agency concerned shall provide the owner of real property to be acquired with a written statement of, and summary of the basis for, the amount it established as just compensation. Where appropriate the just compensation for the real property acquired and for damages to remaining real property shall be separately stated.

(4) An owner is not required to surrender possession of real property before the agency concerned pays the agreed purchase price, or deposits with the court in eminent domain proceedings for the benefit of the owner, the amount of the award of the appraisers in the eminent domain proceeding for the property.

(5) The construction or development of a public improvement shall be so scheduled that, to the greatest extent practicable, a person lawfully occupying real property is not required to move from a dwelling (assuming an adequate replacement dwelling will be available) or to move a business or farm operation without at least ninety (90) days written notice from the agency concerned of the date by which the move is required.

(6) If the agency permits an owner or tenant to occupy the real property acquired on a rental basis for a short term or for a period subject to termination by the agency on short notice, the amount of rent required may not exceed the fair rental value of the property to a short-term occupier.

(7) The agency may not advance the time of condemnation, or defer negotiations or condemnation and the deposit of funds in court for the use of the owner, or take any other action coercive in nature, to compel an agreement on the price to be paid for the property.

(8) If any interest in real property is to be acquired by exercise of the power of eminent domain, the agency concerned shall institute formal condemnation proceedings. An agency may 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.

(9) If the acquisition of only part of a property would leave its owner with an uneconomic remnant, the agency concerned shall offer to acquire the entire property.

As added by P.L.18-1990, SEC.226.