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H.B. 131 Enrolled

                 

EMINENT DOMAIN AMENDMENTS

                 
2004 GENERAL SESSION

                 
STATE OF UTAH

                 
Sponsor: Ben C. Ferry

                 
                  LONG TITLE
                  General Description:
                      This bill modifies provisions relating to eminent domain.
                  Highlighted Provisions:
                      This bill:
                      .    authorizes shareholders in a mutual stock water company to appear and defend in a
                  condemnation action involving the taking of the company or company property; and
                      .    adds to the amount of damages to be assessed in a condemnation action:
                          .    the value of water delivery system facilities damaged or impaired by the
                  condemnation of water rights or a water delivery system; and
                          .    the value of crops on land that is condemned.
                  Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
                      None
                  Other Special Clauses:
                      None
                  Utah Code Sections Affected:
                  AMENDS:
                      78-34-7, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      78-34-10, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                 
                  Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
                      Section 1. Section 78-34-7 is amended to read:
                       78-34-7. Who may appear and defend.
                      All persons in occupation of, or having or claiming an interest in, any of the property


                  described in the complaint, or in the damages for the taking thereof, though not named, including
                  shareholders in a mutual stock water company in a proceeding involving the taking of the
                  company or property belonging to the company, may appear, plead and defend, each in respect to
                  his own property or interest, or that claimed by him, in the same manner as if named in the
                  complaint.
                      Section 2. Section 78-34-10 is amended to read:
                       78-34-10. Compensation and damages -- How assessed.
                      The court, jury or referee must hear such legal evidence as may be offered by any of the
                  parties to the proceedings, and thereupon must ascertain and assess:
                      (1) the value of the property sought to be condemned and all improvements thereon
                  appertaining to the realty, and of each and every separate estate or interest therein; and if it
                  consists of different parcels, the value of each parcel and of each estate or interest therein shall be
                  separately assessed;
                      (2) if the property sought to be condemned constitutes only a part of a larger parcel, the
                  damages which will accrue to the portion not sought to be condemned by reason of its severance
                  from the portion sought to be condemned and the construction of the improvement in the manner
                  proposed by the plaintiff;
                      (3) if the property, though no part thereof is taken, will be damaged by the construction
                  of the proposed improvement, the amount of such damages;
                      (4) separately, how much the portion not sought to be condemned, and each estate or
                  interest therein, will be benefited, if at all, by the construction of the improvement proposed by the
                  plaintiff. If the benefit shall be equal to the damages assessed under Subdivision (2) of this section,
                  the owner of the parcel shall be allowed no compensation except the value of the portion taken;
                  but if the benefit shall be less than the damages so assessed, the former shall be deducted from the
                  latter, and the remainder shall be the only damages allowed in addition to the value of the portion
                  taken;
                      (5) if the property sought to be condemned consists of water rights or part of a water
                  delivery system or both, and the taking will cause present or future damage to or impairment of

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                  the water delivery system not being taken, including impairment of the system's carrying capacity,
                  an amount to compensate for the damage or impairment;
                      (6) if land on which crops are growing at the time of service of summons is sought to be
                  condemned, the value that those crops would have had after being harvested, taking into account
                  the expenses that would have been incurred cultivating and harvesting the crops; and
                      [(5)] (7) as far as practicable compensation must be assessed for each source of damages
                  separately.

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