§18-1A-22. Offer to purchase at full appraised value; changes in fair market value caused by project or likelihood of acquiring property therefor to be disregarded; reduction in compensation based on benefits which may accrue from use of acquired property; written statement of basis for amount of compensation.

(a) Before commencing a condemnation action, the condemnor shall establish an amount based on an appraisal which it believes to be just compensation therefor and promptly shall submit to the owner an offer to acquire the property for the full amount so established. The amount shall not be less than the condemnor's established amount of just compensation for the property.

(b) In a total taking, the condemnor shall disregard any decrease or increase in the fair market value of the property caused by the project for which the property is to be acquired or by the reasonable likelihood that the property will be acquired for that project, other than normal depreciation.

(c) The amount of compensation to which the owners and other parties interested therein are entitled must not be reduced or diminished because of any incidental benefits which may accrue to them or to their remaining lands in consequence of the uses to which the lands to be taken or in which the easement is to be acquired will be appropriated; provided, that in the condemnation of lands for ways and rights-of-way for public highways, water or sewer lines, the commissioners may, in fixing the amount of compensation to be awarded the owner for lands taken for this use, take into consideration the value of the enhancement to the remaining lands of such owner that such highway, water or sewer lines may cause; and provided further, that in proceedings instituted by water conservancy districts and water management districts, benefits accruing to the landowner from an improvement may be considered and allowed as a setoff against the damages to be awarded, but benefits derived from improvements other than the improvement for which the land is condemned cannot be considered.

(d) The condemnor shall provide the owner of the property with a written statement and summary, showing the basis for the amount it established as just compensation for the property. If appropriate, the compensation for the property to be acquired and for the damages to remaining property shall be separately stated.

(Acts 1985, No. 85-548, p. 802, §203.)