HB449

Louisiana HB449 requires expropriating authorities to pay court costs of expropriation proceedings.

Louisiana HB449 amends existing law to assign court costs incurred during expropriation proceedings to the expropriating authority. Previously, if the highest compensation offered before the expropriation suit was equal to or more than the final award, the court could order the property owner to pay all or a portion of the costs. Now, all court costs actually incurred because of the expropriation proceeding must be paid by the expropriating authority. This change affects how costs are allocated in expropriation cases in Louisiana.