What notice must a federal agency give before acquiring my property?

What the Law Says

The Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (URA) — implemented through provisions like 42 U.S.C. § 4601 — establishes baseline requirements for federal agencies acquiring private property for public use. While § 4601 itself is a definitions section, it anchors the broader URA framework that mandates specific notice and assistance obligations.

Under the URA, a federal agency must provide written notice to the property owner at least 30 days before acquiring real property by purchase or condemnation. This notice must include: (1) the agency’s intent to acquire; (2) the proposed date of acquisition; (3) the basis for the offer (e.g., fair market value appraisal); and (4) information about relocation assistance rights under the Act.

The law also requires that the agency make a written offer to purchase the property at a price no less than its estimate of fair market value — and in no case less than $10,000 — before initiating condemnation proceedings. The offer must be accompanied by a written statement explaining how the value was determined.

Although 42 U.S.C. § 4601 does not contain procedural notice requirements itself, it defines key terms used throughout the URA (e.g., 'displaced person', 'acquisition', 'real property') that shape how those requirements apply. Its definitions are foundational to interpreting the notice and assistance duties found in later sections of the Act (e.g., 42 U.S.C. §§ 4631–4634).

Statutory Text

The term 'acquisition' means the purchase, transfer, lease, or other method of obtaining real property by a Federal agency, including acquisition by donation.

— 42 U.S.C. § 4601 — Definitions

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