2025 Code of Georgia
Title 22 - Eminent Domain (Chs. 1 — 4)
Chapter 2 - Condemnation Procedure Generally (Arts. 1 — 3)
Article 1 - Proceeding Before Assessors (Pts. 1 — 5)

Annotations

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Condemnation procedures are constitutional, although no special tribunal to pass on the question of necessity is provided for. Savannah, Fla. & W. Ry. v. Postal Telegraph-Cable Co., 115 Ga. 554, 42 S. E. 1, 1902 Ga. LEXIS 470 (1902).

Condemnation procedures are general in nature and applies to all persons, natural and artificial, who come within its purview. Savannah, Fla. & W. Ry. v. Postal Telegraph-Cable Co., 115 Ga. 554, 42 S. E. 1, 1902 Ga. LEXIS 470 (1902).

Condemnation procedures provide method to be followed when private property is taken or damaged for public purposes, and the procedure herein prescribed cannot be adopted when the property is sought to be taken for a purely private purpose. Garbutt Lumber Co. v. Georgia & Ala. Ry., 111 Ga. 714, 36 S. E. 942, 1900 Ga. LEXIS 700 (1900); Jones & Co. v. Venable, 120 Ga. 1, 47 S. E. 549, 1904 Ga. LEXIS 430 (1904).

Condemnation procedures changed prior law enunciated in Parham v. Justices of Inferior Court, 9 Ga. 341 (1851), requiring a special act to authorize condemnation. Marietta Chair Co. v. Henderson, 121 Ga. 399, 49 S. E. 312, 1904 Ga. LEXIS 169 (1904).

Prior laws are superseded. —

All prior laws providing different method of procedure for taking property under the power of eminent domain are superseded by the condemnation procedure. Alexander v. City Council, 134 Ga. 849, 68 S. E. 704, 1910 Ga. LEXIS 374 (1910); Bibb Brick Co. v. Central of Ga. Ry., 151 Ga. 83, 105 S. E. 833, 1921 Ga. LEXIS 156 (1921).

Act permitting municipality to condemn land in fee simple is unconstitutional. O'Dowd's Sons & Co. v. City Council, 141 Ga. 748, 82 S. E. 148, 1914 Ga. LEXIS 134 (1914).

Power granted by charter not affected. —

The power granted the Georgia Railroad & Banking Company to condemn private property in the manner prescribed in its original charter as amended by the Act approved December 26, 1836 (Prince’s Dig. 358), could not legally be, and was not affected by the passage of the condemnation laws. Gardner v. Georgia R. & B. Co., 117 Ga. 522, 43 S. E. 863, 1903 Ga. LEXIS 284 (1903), superseded by statute as stated in Georgia Public Service Com. v. Central of G. R. Co., 179 Ga. App. 415, 346 S. E.2d 568, 1986 Ga. App. LEXIS 1934 (1986) (decided prior to enactment of § 46-8-121).

Power delegated to municipality. —

If the power of eminent domain is conferred on the municipality by its charter, and no provision is made therein for its exercise, the general law embodied in the condemnation law is by implication a part of the law delegating the power. Stowe v. Town of Newborn, 127 Ga. 421, 56 S. E. 516, 1907 Ga. LEXIS 288 (1907). See Georgia R. R. & Banking Co. v. Mayor of Union Point, 119 Ga. 809, 47 S. E. 183, 1904 Ga. LEXIS 368 (1904); Zachry v. Mayor of Harlem, 138 Ga. 195, 75 S. E. 4, 1912 Ga. LEXIS 254 (1912).

“Property” for purposes of the condemnation law is limited to “private property” as indicated by the original enacting Act (Ga. L. 1894, p. 95) and by operation of O. C. G. A. § 22-1-8. DOT v. City of Atlanta, 255 Ga. 124, 337 S. E.2d 327, 1985 Ga. LEXIS 1002 (1985).

State property not subject to condemnation. —

Statutes providing for condemnation of land for public use do not provide that the statutes shall apply to the state, nor is there anything to imply that the legislature intended such statutes to be applicable to the sovereign. Western Union Tel. Co. v. Western & A. R. R., 142 Ga. 532, 83 S. E. 135, 1914 Ga. LEXIS 449 (1914).

Interest of lessee of state property is not subject to condemnation. Western Union Tel. Co. v. Western & A. R. R., 142 Ga. 532, 83 S. E. 135, 1914 Ga. LEXIS 449 (1914).

Consent of property owner not necessary. —

In condemnation proceedings, the willingness or unwillingness of the property owner to part with the owner’s property is not a subject matter of consideration. Central Ga. Power Co. v. Mays, 137 Ga. 120, 72 S. E. 900, 1911 Ga. LEXIS 324 (1911).

Assessors need not be county residents. —

It is not necessary that assessors appointed in condemnation proceeding should be residents of the county where such proceeding is instituted. Hutchinson v. Copeland, 146 Ga. 357, 91 S. E. 206, 1917 Ga. LEXIS 305 (1917).

Power of condemnation may be exercised by railroad whose tracks cross the tracks of another. Atlantic & B. R. R. v. Seaboard Air-Line Ry., 116 Ga. 412, 42 S. E. 761, 1902 Ga. LEXIS 117 (1902).

Person or corporation engaged in quarrying business, who needs right of way for private railroad across the lands of others, is authorized in a case of necessity to obtain the right of way by condemnation proceedings. Jones & Co. v. Venable, 120 Ga. 1, 47 S. E. 549, 1904 Ga. LEXIS 430 (1904).

Contesting validity of condemnation proceedings. —

When a property owner participates in proceedings but refuses to take the award of the assessors, and when the property owner acted promptly after the award of the assessors was made by filing the owner’s petition in equity, alleging that the condemnor was proceeding illegally and had no right to condemn, and sought to enjoin the entering upon or taking possession of the owner’s property, the property owner is not estopped from contesting the validity of the condemnation proceedings. Johnston v. Clayton County Water Auth., 222 Ga. 39, 148 S. E.2d 417, 1966 Ga. LEXIS 391 (1966).

Statutory construction when procedural provisions incomplete. —

When wording is taken from a prior statute, or when Ga. L. 1957, p. 387, § 1 (see O. C. G. A. § 22-2-100 et seq.) fails to be complete within itself, then reference to provisions for proceedings before assessors is permitted to fill in the void. Johnson v. Fulton County, 103 Ga. App. 873, 121 S. E.2d 54, 1961 Ga. App. LEXIS 1080 (1961).

If public authority does not proceed directly to condemn, injured citizen has right to compensation under the state Constitution. A cause of action for “inverse condemnation” will lie. Powell v. Ledbetter Bros., 251 Ga. 649, 307 S. E.2d 663, 1983 Ga. LEXIS 896 (1983), overruled, David Allen Co. v. Benton, 260 Ga. 557, 398 S. E.2d 191, 1990 Ga. LEXIS 442 (1990).

Research References & Practice Aids

Hierarchy Notes:

O. C. G. A. Title 22

O. C. G. A. Title 22, Ch. 2