82R3967 AJA-D
 
  By: Johnson H.B. No. 746
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the assessment of damages to a property owner from
  condemnation.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 21.041, Property Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 21.041.  EVIDENCE.  As the basis for assessing actual
  damages to a property owner from a condemnation, the special
  commissioners shall admit evidence on:
               (1)  the value of the property being condemned;
               (2)  the injury to the property owner, including, if
  the condemnation makes relocation of a homestead, farm, or business
  necessary, the financial damages associated with the cost of
  relocating from the condemned property to another property:
                     (A)  in the same municipality or, if the property
  is not in an incorporated area, the same county; and
                     (B)  that allows the property owner, without the
  necessity of incurring an amount of debt, debt service, or total
  projected interest obligation that is higher than the property
  owner was subject to immediately before the condemnation, to:
                           (i)  have a standard of living comparable to
  the property owner's standard of living immediately before the
  condemnation, if the condemned property is a homestead that is
  habitable; or
                           (ii)  operate a comparable farm or business,
  if the condemned property is a farm or business;
               (3)  the benefit to the property owner's remaining
  property; and
               (4)  the use of the property for the purpose of the
  condemnation.
         SECTION 2.  Section 21.042(d), Property Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  In estimating injury or benefit under Subsection (c),
  the special commissioners shall consider an injury or benefit that
  is peculiar to the property owner, including the property owner's
  financial damages described by Section 21.041(2), and that relates
  to the property owner's ownership, use, or enjoyment of the
  particular parcel of real property, but they may not consider an
  injury or benefit that the property owner experiences in common
  with the general community.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a condemnation proceeding in which the petition is filed on or
  after the effective date of this Act. A condemnation proceeding in
  which the petition is filed before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date
  of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2011.