Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 23 Sec. 3023

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
  • Highway purposes: means use as a town way and those things incidental to the laying out, construction, improvement, maintenance, change of location, alignment and drainage of town ways, including the securing of materials therefor; provision for the health, welfare and safety of the public using town ways; provision for parking places, rest areas and preservation of scenic beauty along town ways. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 23 Sec. 3021
  • Municipal officers: means the mayor and municipal officers or councilors of a city, the members of the select board or councilors of a town and the assessors of a plantation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Municipality: includes cities, towns and plantations, except that "municipality" does not include plantations in Title 10, chapter 110, subchapter IV; or Title 30?A, Part 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • registered mail: when used in connection with any requirement for notice by mail shall mean either registered mail or certified mail. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Town: includes cities and plantations, unless otherwise expressed or implied. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
A municipality may take property or interests therein for highway purposes if the municipal officers determine that public exigency requires the immediate taking of such property interests, or if the municipality is unable to purchase it at what the municipal officers deem reasonable valuation, or if title is defective. [PL 1975, c. 711, §8 (NEW).]
In municipalities where the municipal officers have the legislative power of appropriation, the municipal officers shall file with the municipal clerk a condemnation order that includes a detailed description of the property interests to be taken, which shall specify its location by metes and bounds, the name or names of the owner or owners of record so far as they can be reasonably determined and the amount of damages determined by the municipal officers to be just compensation for the property or interest therein taken. The municipal officers shall then serve upon the owner or owners of record a copy of the condemnation order and a check in the amount of the damages awarded. In the event of multiple ownership, the check may be served on any one of the owners. Title shall pass to the municipality upon service of the order of condemnation and check or upon recordation in accordance with section 3024, whichever occurs first. [PL 1975, c. 711, §8 (NEW).]
In towns where the town meeting has the legislative power of appropriation, the municipal officers shall file the condemnation order described in the previous paragraph with the town clerk and send a copy to the owner or owners of record by registered mail. No interest shall pass to the town unless an article generally describing the property interest to be taken and stating the amount of damages to be paid has been approved by a duly called town meeting. The town meeting may not amend the article, except to increase the amount of damages to be paid. If the article is approved, a check in the amount of damages authorized shall be served immediately upon the owner or owners of record. In the event of multiple ownership, the check may be served on any one of the owners. Title shall pass to the town upon service of the check or upon recordation in accordance with section 3024, whichever occurs first. [PL 1975, c. 711, §8 (NEW).]
Unless specifically provided in the order of condemnation or unless the property or interests to be taken include land or right-of-way of a railroad corporation or a public utility, title to property taken for town ways after December 31, 1976, shall be in fee simple absolute. [PL 1975, c. 770, §98 (RPR).]
In all proceedings under this section, an award of damages by the municipal legislative body shall be considered an appropriation for that purpose. [PL 1975, c. 711, §8 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY

PL 1975, c. 711, §8 (NEW). PL 1975, c. 770, §§98,99 (AMD).