• ♦Manual Notice 2024-2
• ►1. Legal Aspects of Eminent Domain
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Provisions of the Texas Constitution
    • ♦State Statutory Provisions
    • ♦Federal Laws and Regulations
• ►2. State Acquisition by Eminent Domain
  • ►1. Offer Letters
    • ♦Procedure
    • ♦Strict Procedural Compliance Required
    • ♦Initial Offer
    • ♦Final Offer
    • ♦Instructions and Examples for Special Circumstances:
    • ♦Written Offers to Unknown or Unlocated Owners
    • ♦Persons/Entities in Bankruptcy
    • ♦Title Update for Eminent Domain
  • ►2. ED Submission Requirements
    • ♦Timing of Eminent Domain Proceedings
    • ♦Preparation of Property Descriptions and Parcel Plats
    • ♦Eminent Domain Submission Requirements
    • ♦ROW-E-49 Instructions
  • ►3. Procedure Before Special Commissioners’ Hearing
    • ♦Witnesses and Appraisal Reports for Eminent Domain
    • ♦Suggestions for Preparation and Use of Court Exhibits
    • ♦Communications with the Office of the Attorney General
    • ♦Assisting the Office of the Attorney General
    • ♦Checking Title for Correctness
    • ♦Filing of Plaintiff's Statement/Petition and Notice of Lis Pendens
    • ♦Notice of Lis Pendens - Required Service on Interested Parties
    • ♦Use of Court Reporters
    • ♦Settlements of Eminent Domain Lawsuits Before Commissioners' Hearing (for State)
  • ►4. Special Commissioners' Hearing and Award
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►5. Procedures After Special Commissioners’ Award
    • ♦Funding and Depositing the Award, and Filing the Notice of Deposit
    • ♦Establishment of Right of Possession by State
    • ♦Commissioners' Award and Filing of Objections
    • ♦Factors to Consider in Accepting or Appealing the Special Commissioners' Award
    • ♦Issuance of Citation on the Objections to the Award
    • ♦Settlements of Eminent Domain Lawsuits After Commissioners' Hearing (for State)
    • ♦Mediation
  • ►6. Trial and Post-Judgment Procedures
    • ♦Judgment and Payment Procedures After Settlement
    • ♦Title Policy Issuance after Judgment is Final
    • ♦Collection of Refunds Due State
• ►3. Instructions for Completing ROW-E-49
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦General
  • ►2. Section I of Form ROW-E-49 (Nature of Taking)
    • ♦Nature of Taking:
  • ►3. Section II of Form ROW-E-49 (Parties to be Joined)
    • ♦Holders of Property Interests to be Joined as Parties
    • ♦Fee Owners to be Joined
    • ♦Adverse Claimants to be Joined
    • ♦Lienholders to be Joined
    • ♦Easement Holders to be Joined
    • ♦Lessees and Tenants to be joined
    • ♦Owners of Minerals, Mineral Leases to be Joined
  • ►4. Section III of Form ROW-E-49 (Parties Not to be Joined)
    • ♦Holders of Property Interests Not To Be Joined as Parties:
  • ►5. Section IV of Form ROW-E-49 (Taxing Agencies)
    • ♦Taxing Agencies (Whole Taking Only)
  • ►6. Section V of Form ROW-E-49 (Special Clauses)
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Bisected Improvement(s)
    • ♦Property Rights To Be Retained by Owner
  • ►7. Section VI of Form ROW-E-49 (Timing of Proceedings)
    • ♦Timing of Proceedings (Month and Year):
  • ►8. Section VII of Form ROW-E-49 (Appraisals)
    • ♦Appraisals
  • ►9. Section VIII of Form ROW-E-49 (Environmental)
    • ♦Environmental
  • ►10. Section IX of Form ROW-E-49 (Attached Documents)
    • ♦Attached Documents
  • ►11. Section X of Form ROW-E-49 (Remarks)
    • ♦Procedure
• ►4. LPA Acquisition by Eminent Domain
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦LPA Responsible for Condemnation
    • ♦Filing of Notice of Lis Pendens
  • ►2. Eminent Domain Forms for City
    • ♦Forms
    • ♦For Taking Drainage Easement Only
  • ►3. Eminent Domain Forms for County
    • ♦Forms
    • ♦For Taking Drainage Easement Only:
  • ►4. Miscellaneous Procedures for LPA Acquisition in ED
    • ♦Commission Authorization of County Eminent Domain
    • ♦Condemnation in City's Name
    • ♦Requirements for Notification to TxDOT
    • ♦LPA Appeal of Unfavorable Awards
    • ♦State Intervention in Eminent Domain
    • ♦Use of State Approved Appraisers and Expert Witnesses in Condemnation
    • ♦Exhibits for Eminent Domain Purposes
    • ♦Improvements Acquired in Eminent Domain
    • ♦Settlements of Eminent Domain Lawsuits (for LPA)
• ►5. Payment and LPA Reimbursement Procedures for Condemned Parcels
  • ►1. General Payment Procedures
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►2. Payment for Condemnation Judgments
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►3. Payment of Commissioners' Awards
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►4. Payment of Final Judgment
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►5. Payment of Special Commissioners' Fees and Eminent Domain Costs
    • ♦Special Commissioners' Fees
    • ♦Situations and Required Information
  • ►6. Payment of Owner's Litigation Expenses
    • ♦Procedure
    • ♦Payment of Litigation Expenses (for LPA)
  • ►7. Eligible Condemnation Costs and Methods of Reimbursement (for LPA)
    • ♦Overview
  • ►8. Submission for Single Reimbursement Based on Final Judgment (for LPA)
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►9. Submissions for Partial Reimbursement Based on 80% of the State's Participation Amount of the Commissioners' Award (for LPA)
    • ♦Procedure
  • ►10. Submission for Reimbursement Following Partial Reimbursement on the Commissioners' Award (for LPA)
    • ♦Procedure
• ►A. Eminent Domain Guide
  • ►1. Preface
    • ♦Overview
  • ►2. Eminent Domain Submission Checklist
    • ♦Reference
    • ♦Prior to Submitting Eminent Domain Request
    • ♦Filing of ED Petition & Related Court Papers
    • ♦Attend Special Commissioners' Hearing
    • ♦If No Objections
    • ♦If Objections Filed
    • ♦Mediation
    • ♦Settlements
    • ♦Jury Trial
  • ►3. Special Situations
    • ♦Substitute a Commissioner
    • ♦Appointment of a Guardian Ad Litem
    • ♦Citation by Publication
  • ►4. Form ROW-E-49 Checklist
    • ♦In Advance of Completing a Form ROW-E-49:
    • ♦In Submitting Form ROW-E-49
  • ►5. Preparation of Access, Bisection, and Special Clauses for Easements
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Control of Access
    • ♦Bisection Clauses
    • ♦Clauses for Highway, Drainage, or Temporary Easement Purposes
  • ►6. Form ROW-E-49 Preparation
    • ♦Corporate Information
    • ♦Resolution Trust Corporation
    • ♦Bank Information
    • ♦FDIC
    • ♦Internal Revenue Service Parties
  • ►7. Bankruptcy Checklist
    • ♦Overview
  • ►8. Who, Where, When - Helpful Suggestions
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Petition For Condemnation
    • ♦Lis Pendens
    • ♦Order Appointing Special Commissioners
    • ♦Motion to Substitute Special Commissioner with Order Attached
    • ♦Oath of Special Commissioners
    • ♦Order Setting Hearing Before Special Commissioners
    • ♦Designation of Counsel In Charge For (Named Party) with Certificate of Service
    • ♦Acceptance of Service And Waiver of Notice of Hearing
    • ♦Notice of Hearing with Service of Notice Attached
    • ♦Plaintiff's Motion For Nonsuit And Dismissal
    • ♦Order of Nonsuit And Dismissal
    • ♦Award of Commissioners
    • ♦Judgment of Court In Absence of Objection
    • ♦Objections to Award of Special Commissioners
    • ♦Notice Of Deposit
    • ♦Disclaimer of Interest of Defendant And Certificate of Service
    • ♦Order of Dismissal of/Or As a Defendant
    • ♦Order Scheduling a Hearing
    • ♦Affidavit For Citation by Publication
    • ♦Citation by Publication
    • ♦Publisher's Certificate
    • ♦Officer's Return
    • ♦Motion to Appoint Attorney Ad Litem
    • ♦Order Appointing Attorney Ad Litem
    • ♦Motion to Appoint Guardian Ad Litem
    • ♦Order Appointing Guardian Ad Litem
    • ♦Order Adjourning Hearing
    • ♦Discovery Documents

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Manual Notice: 2024-2

From: Kyle Madsen, Right of Way Division Director

Manual: ROW Eminent Domain Manual

Effective Date: September 03, 2024

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Purpose

The primary purpose of this revision is to update the ROW Eminent Domain Manual to align with Texas Property Code, Section 21.0113.

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Changes

In Chapter 2, updated Section 1 - Offer Letters and made minor updates throughout chapter.

In Appendix A, removed a reference to obsolete form ROW-E-Med, Notice of Pre-mediation and Mediation Settings.

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Disclaimer

Some hyperlinks will not work when a PDF version of this manual is downloaded and used offline.

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Contact

Lezlie Kirby, Right of Way Project Delivery Section Director, 512.416.2868

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Archives

Past manual notices are available in a pdf archive.