Ala. Code § 18-1A-256

This is the official text of Ala. Code § 18-1A-256, part of Alabama’s Code — part of the compiled statutory law of Alabama, published by the state as "Code." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Section 18-1A-256 Abandonment of Acquisition

Official statutory text

(a) Subject to the requirements of subsection (b), an arbitration under this article may specify the terms and conditions, if any, under which the condemnor may abandon acquisition of the property.

(b) Unless the arbitration agreement expressly waives the property owner’s right to reimbursement, in the event of abandonment of acquisition after an arbitration agreement has been entered into, he is entitled to recover from the condemnor:

(1) The same litigation expenses that would be recoverable upon dismissal of an action for the acquisition of the property; and

(2) All other expenses, not included in recoverable litigation expenses, reasonably and necessarily incurred by him in preparation for and in participating in the arbitration and in judicial proceedings in connection with the arbitration, including reasonable attorney, appraisal, and engineering fees.

(c) If abandonment of acquisition occurs after the rendition of an award in the arbitration proceedings, the amount of the expenses payable under this section shall be determined as an additional issue in the arbitration, unless the arbitration agreement expressly provides otherwise. If the abandonment occurs before the rendition of the award, the amount shall be determined by the court in a condemnation action, if one is commenced, or in any independent action brought against the condemnor.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in Alabama?

Find a Alabama lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.