32-15 Eminent Domain
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compensation first having been made to or paid into court for the owner. When
private property is taken by a person, no benefit to accrue from the proposed
improvement may be allowed in ascertaining the compensation to be made therefor.
Private property may not be taken for the use of, or ownership by, any private
individual or entity, unless that property is necessary for conducting a common
carrier or utility business. A determination of the compensation must be made by a
jury, unless a jury is waived. The right of eminent domain may be exercised in the
manner provided in this chapter.3.Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a public use or a public purpose does not
include public benefits of economic development, including an increase in tax base,
tax revenues, employment, or general economic health.4.For the purpose of this chapter, "condemnor" means a person empowered to take
property under the power of eminent domain.32-15-02. Purposes for which exercised. Subject to the provisions of this chapter, theright of eminent domain may be exercised in behalf of the following public uses:1.All public uses authorized by the government of the United States.2.Public buildings and grounds for the use of the state and all other public uses
authorized by the legislative assembly of the state.3.Public buildings and grounds for the use of any county, city, park district, or school
district; canals, aqueducts, flumes, ditches, or pipes for conducting water for the use
of the inhabitants of any county or city, or for draining any county or city; raising the
banks of streams, removing obstructions therefrom, and widening, deepening, or
straightening their channels; roads, streets, and alleys, and all other uses for the
benefit of any county, city, or park district, or the inhabitants thereof, which may be
authorized by the legislative assembly, but the mode of apportioning and collecting
the costs of such improvement shall be such as may be provided in the statutes by
which the same may be authorized.4.Wharves, docks, piers, chutes, booms, ferries, bridges, toll roads, byroads, plank
and turnpike roads, railroads and street railways, electric light plants and power
transmission lines and canals, ditches, flumes, aqueducts, and pipes for public
transportation, supplying mines, and irrigating, draining, and reclaiming lands.5.Roads, tunnels, ditches, flumes, pipes, and dumping places for working mines,
outlets, natural or otherwise, for the flow, deposit, or conduct of the tailings or refuse
from mines and mill dams.6.Byroads leading from highways to residences and farms.7.Telegraph and telephone lines.Page No. 18.Sewage disposal of any city, or of any settlement consisting of not less than ten
families, or of any public buildings belonging to the state, or of any college or
university.9.Cemeteries and public parks.10.Oil, gas, coal, and carbon dioxide pipelines and works and plants for supplying or
conducting gas, oil, coal, carbon dioxide, heat, refrigeration, or power for the use of
any county, city, or the inhabitants thereof, together with lands, buildings, and all
other improvements in or upon which to erect, install, place, maintain, use, or
operate pumps, stations, tanks, and other machinery or apparatus, and buildings,
works, and plants for the purpose of generating, refining, regulating, compressing,
transmitting, or distributing the same, or necessary for the proper development and
control of such gas, oil, coal, carbon dioxide, heat, refrigeration, or power, either at
the time of the taking of said property or for the future proper development and
control thereof.11.Lands sought to be acquired by the state or any duly authorized and designated
state official or board, which lands necessarily must be flooded in widening or raising
the waters of any body or stream of navigable or public water in the state of North
Dakota.32-15-03. What estate subject to be taken. The following is a classification of theestates and rights in lands subject to be taken for public use:1.A fee simple, when taken for public buildings or grounds, for permanent buildings,
for reservoirs and dams and permanent flooding occasioned thereby, for an outlet
for a flow or a place for the deposit of debris or tailings of a mine, or for the
construction of parking lots and facilities for motor vehicles.2.An easement, when taken for highway purposes or for any other use except, upon a
proper allegation of the need therefor, the court shall have the power to order that a
fee simple be taken for such other use.3.The right of entry upon and occupation of lands and the right to take therefrom such
earth, gravel, stones, trees, and timber as may be necessary for a public use.However, the provisions of this section shall not authorize the state or any political subdivision
thereof to obtain any rights or interest in or to the oil, gas, or fluid minerals on or underlying any
estate or right in lands subject to be taken for a public use.32-15-03.1. Declaration of legislative intent. Repealed by omission from this code.32-15-03.2. Termination of estates greater than an easement. No transfer to thestate of North Dakota or any of its political subdivisions of property for highway purposes shall be
deemed to include any interest greater than an easement, and where any greater estate shall
have been so transferred, the same is hereby reconveyed to the owner from which such land
was originally taken, or to the heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns of such owner. Such
reconveyance shall be subject to any existing contracts or agreements covering such property,
and all rights and benefits thereof shall accrue to the grantee.32-15-04. What property may be taken. The private property which may be takenunder this chapter includes:1.All real property belonging to any person.2.Lands belonging to this state or to any county, city, or park district, not appropriated
to some public use.Page No. 23.Property appropriated to public use, but such property shall not be taken unless for a
more necessary public use than that to which it has been appropriated already, and
use by a public corporation shall be deemed a more necessary public use than use
for the same purpose by a private corporation or limited liability company, and
whenever a right of way shall have been taken and the person, firm, corporation, or
limited liability company taking such right of way shall fail or neglect for five years to
use the same for the purpose to which it had been appropriated, the attempt by
another person, firm, corporation, or limited liability company to appropriate such
right of way shall be considered a more necessary public use.4.Franchises for toll roads, toll bridges, ferries, and all other franchises, but such
franchises shall not be taken unless for free highways, railroads, or other more
necessary public use.5.Any system of waterworks, electric light and power plant, wells, reservoirs, pipelines,
machinery, franchises, and all other property of any character whatsoever
comprising a waterworks system or an electric light and power system.6.All rights of way for any and all the purposes mentioned in section 32-15-02 and any
and all structures and improvements thereon, and the lands held or used in
connection therewith, shall be subject to be connected with, crossed, or intersected
by any other right of way or improvement or structure thereon. They also shall be
subject to a limited use in common with the owner thereof when necessary, but such
uses, crossings, intersections, and connections shall be made in the manner most
compatible with the greatest public benefit and the least private injury.7.All classes of private property not enumerated may be taken for public use when
such taking is authorized by law.32-15-05. What must appear before property taken. Before property can be taken itmust appear:1.That the use to which it is to be applied is a use authorized by law.2.That the taking is necessary to such use.3.If already appropriated to some public use, that the public use to which it is to be
applied is a more necessary public use.32-15-06. Entry for making surveys. In all cases when land is required for public use,the person or corporation, or the person's or corporation's agents, in charge of such use may
survey and locate the same, but it must be located in the manner which will be compatible with
the greatest public benefit and the least private injury and subject to the provisions of section
32-15-21.Whoever is in charge of such public use may enter upon the land and makeexaminations, surveys, and maps thereof, and such entry constitutes no claim for relief in favor of
the owner of the land except for injuries resulting from negligence, wantonness, or malice.32-15-06.1. Duty to negotiate - Just compensation - Appraisals.1.A condemnor shall make every reasonable and diligent effort to acquire property by
negotiation.2.Before initiating negotiations for the purchase of property, the condemnor shall
establish an amount 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 approved appraisal
or written statement and summary of just compensation for the property.Page No. 33.In establishing the amount believed to be just compensation, 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 a decrease due to
physical deterioration within the reasonable control of the owner.4.The condemnor shall provide the owner of the property with a written appraisal, if
one has been prepared, or if one has not been prepared, 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.32-15-06.2.Disclosures.The condemnor, upon request, shall provide the propertyowner or the owner's representative with the names of at least ten neighboring property owners
to whom offers are being made, or a list of all offerees if fewer than ten owners are affected. A
current and relevant map showing all neighboring property affected by a project shall also be
provided to the property owner. Upon request by an owner or the owner's representative, the
condemnor shall provide the names of any other property owners within that county and adjacent
counties whose property may be taken for the project. The owner or the owner's representative
shall have the right, upon request, to examine any maps in the possession of the condemnor
showing property affected by the project. The owner or the owner's representative may obtain
copies of such maps by tendering to the condemnor the reasonable and necessary costs of
preparing copies.32-15-07. Proceedings by civil action. Repealed by omission from this code.32-15-08. Form of summons - When served. Repealed by omission from this code.32-15-09. Service by publication. Repealed by omission from this code.32-15-10. Copy of summons served through mails. Repealed by omission from thiscode.32-15-11. Service complete, when. Repealed by omission from this code.32-15-12. When note of issue filed. Repealed by omission from this code.32-15-13.Jury may be demanded.Whenever in an action brought under theprovisions of this chapter an issue is formed whereby it appears that the attendance of a jury will
be necessary to assess the damages in such action, the plaintiff therein may apply to the judge
of the district court where the same is pending for an order requiring a jury to be summoned to
assess the damages in such action. Thereupon the judge shall issue an order to the clerk of said
court requiring a jury to be summoned, and in such order shall specify the number of jurors to be
drawn, the place where they are to appear, and the time when they shall come, which shall be
not less than eight days nor more than thirty days from the date thereof.32-15-14. When sheriff's fees to be advanced by plaintiff - Surety for jury fees.Repealed by S.L. 1981, ch. 354,