Oklahoma § 27-18 - Landowner’s Bill of Rights

§ 27-18. Landowner’s Bill of Rights

A. The Attorney General shall prepare a written statement that

includes a "Landowner's Bill of Rights" for a property owner whose

real property may be acquired by a person, acquiring agency, or

other entity through the use of the entity's eminent domain

authority under this title or Title 66 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

The statement shall be made available to the public and written in

plain language designed to be easily understood by the average

property owner.

B. The Landowner's Bill of Rights shall notify each property

owner of the right to:

1. Notice of the proposed acquisition of the owner's property;

2. A bona fide good-faith effort to negotiate by the entity

proposing to acquire the property;

3. An assessment of damages to the owner that will result from

the taking of the property;

4. A hearing under this title, including a hearing on the

assessment of damages;

5. An appeal of a judgment in a condemnation proceeding,

including an appeal of an assessment of damages; and

6. First refusal or right of first offer if the acquired land

is ever sold by the state or any state agency or any person who

acquired the land through the use of eminent domain authority. If

the landowner chooses to exercise this right, the price would be the

lower of either the current market value or the price received by

the landowner under the eminent domain sale. This right shall be

available to the landowner in the original eminent domain sale and

to the first generation of heirs.

However, acquired land may be transferred to another state

agency without prompting the first refusal or right of first refusal

as provided in this paragraph.

C. The statement shall include:

1. The title "Landowner's Bill of Rights"; and

2. A description of:

a.

the condemnation procedures provided by this title,

b.

the condemning entity's obligations to the property

owner,

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 27. Eminent Domain

c.

the property owner's options during a condemnation,

including the property owner's right to object to and

appeal an amount of damages awarded, and

d.

the property owner's right of first refusal or right

of first offer if the acquired land is ever sold by

the state or any state agency or any person who

acquired the land through the use of eminent domain

authority.

Added by Laws 2012, c. 160, § 1. Amended by Laws 2024, c. 197, § 1,

eff. Nov. 1, 2024.