(1) As soon as practicable after the date of payment of the purchase price or the date of deposit in court of the funds to satisfy the award of compensation in a condemnation proceeding to acquire real property, whichever is earlier, the acquiring agency shall reimburse the owner, to the extent the acquiring agency deems fair and reasonable for expenses the owner necessarily incurred for:
- (a) Recording fees, transfer taxes, evidence of title, boundary surveys, legal descriptions of the real property, and similar expenses incidental to conveying the real property to the agency. However, the agency is not required to pay costs solely required to perfect the owner's title to the real property;
- (b) Penalty costs and other charges for prepayment of any preexisting recorded mortgage entered into in good faith encumbering the real property; and
- (c) The pro rata portion of any prepaid real property taxes which are allocable to the period after the agency obtains title to the property or effective possession of it, whichever is earlier.
- (2) Whenever feasible, the agency shall pay these costs directly to the billing agent so that the owner will not have to pay such costs and then seek reimbursement from the agency.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 8.26.085. WSR 26-11-009, s 468-100-107, filed 5/11/26, effective 6/11/26.]