68-423a. Advance acquisition of real property or rights for future construction on state highway system; disposal of property acquired; appraisal; sale; public auction, when; advertisements; new appraisement and readvertisement; conveyance; record; disposition of moneys. (a) It is hereby declared to be public policy of this state to provide for the acquisition of real property necessary for the construction, improvement, reconstruction, maintenance or drainage of the state highway system, in advance of actual construction, for the purpose of eliminating costly details in construction, reducing hardship to owners of such property, and eliminating economic waste occasioned by the improvement of such property immediately prior to its acquisition for highway uses. The legislature therefore finds and declares that purchase and condemnation of real property necessary for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, maintenance or drainage of the state highway system, reasonably in advance of programmed construction, is for a public use and purpose and for a public highway purpose.

(b) Whenever the secretary of transportation determines that any real estate so purchased should be disposed of by sale, the secretary shall have the real estate appraised by three disinterested persons. The secretary shall give the landowner from whom the real estate was acquired, or the landowner's successors in title, an opportunity to purchase the real estate at the appraised value. If the landowner does not elect within a reasonable time to purchase the real estate at the appraised value, the secretary, in the name of the state of Kansas, is authorized to sell the interest of the state in the real estate to the highest bidder at public auction. Such sale at auction shall be preceded by an advertisement of the sale in the Kansas register once each week for at least three consecutive weeks prior to the date set for such sale. In no case shall such real estate be sold at public auction for less than 2/3 of its appraised value, except that, if no sale has been effected after an effort to sell at public auction under this section, the secretary of transportation may set aside the appraisement and order a new appraisement and readvertise the real estate for sale at public auction. If such new appraisement does not exceed $1,000, the secretary may readvertise and sell the real estate to the highest bidder. Conveyances of such real estate shall be by deed executed by the secretary.

(c) The secretary of transportation shall keep a record of all such conveyances. All moneys derived from such sales shall be remitted to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of the state highway fund.

History: L. 1963, ch. 333, § 1; L. 1975, ch. 427, §108; L. 1983, ch. 274, § 5; L. 2001, ch. 5, § 279; July 1.