• ♦Manual Notice2004-2
• ►1. Introduction
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Expanded Guide
    • ♦Purpose
    • ♦Right of Way Form Templates
  • ►2. Authority
    • ♦Federal Law
    • ♦State Law
  • ►3. ROW Acquisition Overview
    • ♦Process
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►4. Answers to Your Questions
    • ♦TxDOT District Contacts
• ►2. ROW Procedures Preliminary to Project Release
  • ►1. General ROW Project Development
    • ♦Obtaining Relocation Funding - LPA Acquisitions (with State Participation)
    • ♦LPA Project Set Up (with State Participation)
  • ►2. Contractual Agreements
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Amendments
  • ►3. Cost Participation
    • ♦Overview
  • ►4. Payment Procedures
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►5. Acquisition Procedures for Economically Disadvantaged Counties
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►6. ROW Maps and Parcel Numbering
    • ♦Definition & Preparation
    • ♦Parcel Numbering
    • ♦Property Descriptions and Parcel Plats
• ►3. ROW Acquisition
  • ►1. Advance Acquisition of ROW
    • ♦Overview
  • ►2. Administrative Requirements after Formal Release for ROW Acquisition
    • ♦General
  • ►3. Basic Acquisition Responsibilities (for LPA)
    • ♦With State Participation
    • ♦Without State Participation on or off the State Highway System
    • ♦Task Sharing
  • ►4. District’s Monitoring of LPA Acquisition
    • ♦Requirement
  • ►5. Appraisal and Negotiation Requirements
    • ♦Informational Notice to Owners Required
    • ♦Pre-appraisal Contact
    • ♦Establishment of Just Compensation Required
    • ♦Policies on Use of Appraisers
    • ♦Appraisal Standards
    • ♦Appraisal Review Requirements
    • ♦Policies on Appraisal and State Acquisition of Improvements
    • ♦Written Offer to Purchase Required
    • ♦Owner Retention of Improvements
    • ♦Negotiation Contacts and Reports
    • ♦Updating Offer of Just Compensation
    • ♦Negotiations after Condemnation Proceedings Have Been Initiated
    • ♦Control of Access Rights
    • ♦Policy on “Uneconomic Remainders” (With State Participation)
    • ♦Excess Takings (With State Participation)
    • ♦Information for Income Tax Purposes for Property Owners
  • ►6. Special Appraisal Situations
    • ♦Irrigation and Drainage Canals
    • ♦Private Utility Lines
    • ♦Acquisition of TxDOT Employees’ Property (with State Participation)
    • ♦Administrative Settlements
    • ♦Procedures for Receiving Donations
  • ►7. Matching Fund Credits for LPAs
    • ♦Matching Fund Credits to LPA (State Funded Project; No Federal-Aid)
    • ♦Matching Fund Credits to LPA (Federal-aid Project)
  • ►8. Advertising Sign Interests
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Procedure
    • ♦Relocation Procedures For Signs With Valid Permits
    • ♦Leasehold Advertising Signs
  • ►9. Fencing Policies
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►10. Passes
    • ♦Pass Policies
  • ►11. Acquisitions of State Lands
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►12. Acquisition of Federal Lands for ROW
    • ♦General
    • ♦Property Adjustment Work on Federal Lands
  • ►13. Acquisition of County or City Property for ROW
    • ♦General
    • ♦Acquisition of Mitigation Lands (Federally-funded projects)
  • ►14. Instruments of Conveyance (State Participation)
    • ♦General Requirements for Proper Conveyance
    • ♦Standard Conveyance Forms
    • ♦Special Warranty Deeds
    • ♦Possession and Use Agreement, Form ROW-N-7
    • ♦Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
  • ►15. Special Clauses for Conveyance Instruments
    • ♦Policy (with State Participation)
    • ♦Approved Special Clauses for Use in Conveyance Instruments
  • ►16. Title Requirements, Conflicts, and Exceptions
    • ♦General Title Requirements
    • ♦Conflict of Title and Encroaching Improvements
    • ♦Policy Regarding Kind of Title to be Acquired
    • ♦Current and Delinquent Taxes
  • ►17. Title Insurance
    • ♦General
  • ►18. Procedure for Use of Attorney’s Certificate
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►19. Recording of Legal Instruments (with or without State Participation)
    • ♦General
  • ►20. Reimbursement Policies and Procedures
    • ♦Payment for Appraisers’ Eminent Domain Services
    • ♦State Reimbursement for LPA-Acquired ROW
    • ♦Submission for Reimbursement of ROW Fencing
    • ♦Incidental Expenses on Transfer of Real Property (State Participation)
    • ♦Mortgage Prepayment Penalty
• ►4. Relocation Assistance
  • ►1. Legislative Provisions/Laws and Regulations
    • ♦Federal Law and Regulations
    • ♦State Law
    • ♦Relocation Payments Non-Income Status
    • ♦Fair Housing
    • ♦Relocation Assistance and Local Public Agencies
  • ►2. Relocation Assistance Procedures
    • ♦Relocation Assistance on LPA-Negotiated Property on FM and 90-10 Highway Projects
  • ►3. Pre-Negotiation Contacts
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►4. Real Property versus Personal Property
    • ♦Procedure
• ►5. Eminent Domain
  • ►1. LPA Responsible for Condemnation
    • ♦General
  • ►2. Filing of Notice of Lis Pendens
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►3. Eminent Domain Forms for Cities
    • ♦Overview
  • ►4. Eminent Domain Forms for County
    • ♦Overview
  • ►5. Commission Authorization of County Condemnation Proceedings
    • ♦Overview
  • ►6. Condemnation in City’s Name
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►7. Procedure for Notification to TxDOT
    • ♦Procedure (State Participation)
  • ►8. LPA Appeal of Unfavorable Awards
    • ♦Procedure (State Participation)
  • ►9. State Intervention in Condemnation Proceedings
    • ♦Procedure (State Participation)
  • ►10. Use of State Approved Appraisers and Expert Witnesses in Condemnation
    • ♦Procedure (State Participation)
  • ►11. Exhibits for Condemnation Proceedings
    • ♦Procedure (State Participation)
  • ►12. Improvements Acquired in Condemnation Proceedings
    • ♦Procedure (State Participation)
  • ►13. Settlements of Condemnation Lawsuits
    • ♦Procedure (State Participation)
  • ►14. Payment of Litigation Expenses for Condemned Parcels
    • ♦Procedure (State Participation)
  • ►15. LPA Reimbursement for Condemned Parcels (State Participation)
    • ♦Eligible Condemnation Costs and Methods of Reimbursement
    • ♦Submission for Single Reimbursement Based on Final Judgment
    • ♦Submissions for Partial Reimbursement Based on 80% of the State’s Participation Amount of the Commissioners’ Award
    • ♦Submission for Reimbursement Following Partial Reimbursement on the Commissioners’ Award
• ►6. Removal of Improvements
  • ►1. Responsibility for Improvements
    • ♦Procedure (State Participation)
  • ►2. Proceeds From Sale of Improvements
    • ♦Procedure (State Participation)
• ►7. Leasing
  • ►1. Leasing of ROW by LPAs
    • ♦Overview
• ►8. Railroads
  • ►1. Railroad Relocation Procedures
    • ♦Procedure
• ►9. Records
  • ►1. Preparation for Closing ROW Projects
    • ♦Procedure
    • ♦Title III Parcel and Appraisal Review Checklists
  • ►2. ROW Record Requirements
    • ♦Overview
• ►10. Utilities
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Approval by TxDOT
    • ♦Further Information
• ►A. Disadvantaged Counties
• ►B. State Infrastructure Bank

Real Estate Acquisition Guide for Local Public Agencies

December 2004

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