Sec. 31. (a) Whenever the department acquires real property, rights, or easements for the construction, repair, and maintenance of a state highway, a legal description of all rights-of-way and easements, including the area of the land acquired, shall be filed by the department in the office of the recorder in the county in which the real property is located. The description shall be recorded in the deed records of the county. No fee may be charged for filing and recording the description. The department shall also file the description with the county auditor.

     (b) Real property and interests in real property acquired for permanent highway purposes are exempt from taxation from the date of acquisition, provided that all taxes, interest, and penalties recorded on the property tax duplicates have been paid. Where real property or interests in real property are acquired after the assessment date of any year but before December 31, the taxes on the property in the ensuing year are not a lien on the property and shall be removed from the tax duplicates by the county auditor. A property owner who on or after March 1, 1965, conveyed real property or rights in real property to the department and who after July 8, 1965, is assessed taxes upon the property or rights conveyed and who pays the taxes by reason of the failure of the department to properly record the interest in the real property conveyed with the county auditor and recorder for tax purposes may recover the amount of the taxes from the department.

As added by P.L.18-1990, SEC.216.