26-513. Same; compensation required for taking and damage; determination. (a) Necessity. Private property shall not be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation.

(b) Taking entire tract. If the entire tract of land or interest in such land is taken, the measure of compensation is the fair market value of the property or interest at the time of the taking.

(c) Partial taking. If only a part of a tract of land or interest is taken, the compensation and measure of damages is the difference between the fair market value of the entire property or interest immediately before the taking, and the value of that portion of the tract or interest remaining immediately after the taking.

(d) Factors to be considered. In ascertaining the amount of compensation and damages, the following nonexclusive list of factors shall be considered if such factors are shown to exist. Such factors are not to be considered as separate items of damages, but are to be considered only as they affect the total compensation and damage under the provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of this section. Such factors are:

(1) The most advantageous use to which the property is reasonably adaptable.

(2) Access to the property remaining.

(3) Appearance of the property remaining, if appearance is an element of value in connection with any use for which the property is reasonably adaptable.

(4) Productivity, convenience, use to be made of the property taken, or use of the property remaining.

(5) View, ventilation and light, to the extent that they are beneficial attributes to the use of which the remaining property is devoted or to which it is reasonably adaptable.

(6) Severance or division of a tract, whether the severance is initial or is in aggravation of a previous severance; changes of grade and loss or impairment of access by means of underpass or overpass incidental to changing the character or design of an existing improvement being considered as in aggravation of a previous severance, if in connection with the taking of additional land and needed to make the change in the improvement.

(7) Loss of trees and shrubbery to the extent that they affect the value of the land taken, and to the extent that their loss impairs the value of the land remaining.

(8) Cost of new fences or loss of fences and the cost of replacing them with fences of like quality, to the extent that such loss affects the value of the property remaining.

(9) Destruction of a legal nonconforming use.

(10) Damage to property abutting on a right-of-way due to change of grade where accompanied by a taking of land.

(11) Proximity of new improvement to improvements remaining on condemnee's land.

(12) Loss of or damage to growing crops.

(13) That the property could be or had been adapted to a use which was profitably carried on.

(14) Cost of new drains or loss of drains and the cost of replacing them with drains of like quality, to the extent that such loss affects the value of the property remaining.

(15) Cost of new private roads or passageways or loss of private roads or passageways and the cost of replacing them with private roads or passageways of like quality, to the extent that such loss affects the value of the property remaining.

(e) Fair market value. "Fair market value" means the amount in terms of money that a well informed buyer is justified in paying and a well informed seller is justified in accepting for property in an open and competitive market, assuming that the parties are acting without undue compulsion. The fair market value shall be determined by use of the comparable sales, cost or capitalization of income appraisal methods or any combination of such methods.

History: L. 1963, ch. 234, § 13; L. 1969, ch. 196, § 2; L. 1999, ch. 111, § 3; Apr. 22.