Oklahoma Statutes

Okla. Stat. tit. 66, § 53 (2026)

Taking by eminent domain - Commissioners - Appointment and

✓ current as of July 2026
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proceedings - Right to construct road. A. If the owner of any real property or interest therein, over which any railroad corporation, incorporated under the laws of this state, may desire to locate its road, shall refuse to grant the right-of-way through and over his premises, the district judge of the county in which said real property may be situated shall, upon the application or petition of either party, and after ten (10) days' notice to the opposite party, direct the sheriff of said county to summon three disinterested freeholders, to be selected by said judge as commissioners, and who shall not be interested in a like question. B. The condemnor shall give notice to a condemnee by personal service or by leaving a copy of the notice at the condemnee's place of residence with some member of his family over fifteen (15) years of age, or by publication in the case of a condemnee who resides out of this state or a resident of this state who has departed herefrom with intent to avoid service of notice, or whose whereabouts or identity the condemnor, or his attorney, upon diligent inquiry is unable to ascertain, or an unknown heir, successor or assign of one in whom some right, title or interest in the property concerned was possessed, by publishing such notice once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper authorized by law to publish legal notices in the county where the petition is filed, the ten-day period to begin with the first publication. A copy of such notice and a copy of the petition shall be mailed to such opposite party's last-known mailing address within five (5) days of the first publication thereof. The procedure for service by publication as authorized herein shall in all other respects be as provided by law for service by publication in civil actions, except summons need not first be issued. C. The commissioners shall be sworn to perform their duties impartially and justly; and they shall inspect said real property and consider the injury which said owner may sustain by reason of the condemnation and they shall assess the just compensation to

which said owner is entitled; and they shall forthwith make report in writing to the clerk of the court, setting forth the quantity, boundaries, and just compensation for the property taken, and amount of injury done to the property, either directly or indirectly, which they assess to the owner; which report must be filed and recorded by the clerk. A certified copy of the report may be transmitted to the county clerk of the county where the land lies, to be by him filed and recorded, without further acknowledgment or proof, in the manner and with like force and effect as is provided for the recording of deeds. And if said corporation shall, at any time before it enters upon said real property for the purpose of constructing said road, pay to said clerk for the use of said owner the sum so assessed and reported to him as aforesaid, it shall thereby be authorized to construct and maintain its road over and across said premises. D. "Just compensation", as used in subsection C of this section, shall mean the value of the property taken, and in addition, any injury to any part of the property not taken. Any special and direct benefits to the part of the property not taken may be offset only against any injury to the property not taken. If only a part of a tract is taken, just compensation shall be ascertained by determining the difference between the fair market value of the whole tract immediately before the taking and the fair market value of that portion left remaining immediately after the taking. R.L. 1910, § 1400; Laws 1971, c. 33, § 1, operative Jan. 1, 1972; Laws 1973, c. 28, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1974; Laws 1991, c. 175, § 2, emerg. eff. May 8, 1991.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 31 cases (6 in the last 5 years), 1960–2025 · leading case: City of Stilwell v. Ozarks Rural Elec. Coop. Corp., 166 F.3d 1064 (10th Cir. 1999).
City of Stilwell v. Ozarks Rural Elec. Coop. Corp., 166 F.3d 1064 (10th Cir. 1999). · cites it 5× “II, § 24; Okla. Stat. tit. 66, §§53 through 58. The case was later removed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, after the City of Stilwell joined the Rural Electrification Administration 2 and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance…”
Williams Nat. Gas Co. v. Perkins, 1997 OK 72 (Okla. 1998). · cites it 3× “See Okla.Stat. tit. 66, § 53(D) (1981). 2 . 203 Okla.”
State Ex Rel. Dept. of Transp. v. Cole, 2009 OK 40 (Okla. 2009). · cites it 7× “[3] ¶ 11 Condemnation proceedings are initiated by one party filing a petition in the district court. 66 O.S.2001, § 53(A); 69 O.”
Pub. Serv. Co. v. B. Willis, C.P.A., Inc., 1997 OK 78 (Okla. 1997). · cites it 3× “¶3 Commissioners were appointed and filed their report pursuant to 66 O.S.1991, § 53. Willis filed exceptions to the commissioners’ report under 66 O.”
State Ex Rel. Dep't of Transp. v. Perdue, 2008 OK 103 (Okla. 2008). · cites it 2× “shall refuse to grant the right-of-way through and over his premises, the district judge of the county in which said real property may be situated shall, upon the application or petition of either party, and after ten (10) days' notice to the opposite party, direct the sheriff…”
McMillian v. Holcomb, 907 P.2d 1034 (Okla. 1995). · cites it 2× “An Answer filed in a condemnation suit is insufficient to bring to issue the question of the necessity of the taking as condemnation is a special proceeding and must be carried out in accordance with legislatively prescribed procedures.”
B. Willis, C.P.A., Inc. v. BNSF Ry. Corp., 531 F.3d 1282 (10th Cir. 2008). “Okla. Stat. tit. 66, § 53 (A), (C); 4 see also City of Stigler v.”
Allen v. Transok Pipe Line Co., 552 P.2d 375 (Okla. 1976). · cites it 2× “1971, § 57, is provided for in 66 O.S., § 53, upon the application or petition of either party, and states: “The commissioners shall be sworn to perform their duties impartially and justly; and they shall inspect said real property and consider the injury which said owner may…”
Miller v. Corp. Comm'n, 635 P.2d 1006 (Okla. 1981). · cites it 2× “66 O.S.Supp. 1973 § 53; State ex rel. Dept.”
Root v. KAMO Elec. Coop., Inc., 699 P.2d 1083 (Okla. 1985). “66 O.S.1971, § 53. 25 . State ex rel. Rhodes v.”
Rummage v. State Ex Rel. Dep't of Transp., 849 P.2d 1109 (Okla. Civ. App. 1993). · cites it 2× “The petitions set forth that Landowners were bringing “special proceedings” pursuant to the provisions of 66 O.S.1991 § 53 1 , “23 O.S.A. § 12” (sic) 2 , and O.”
Graham v. City of Duncan, 354 P.2d 458 (Okla. 1960). “1951 § 292 et seq., and Sec. 24, Art. 2, of the Oklahoma Constitution.”
— Okla. Stat. tit. 66, § 53(A) — 2 cases
State Ex Rel. Dep't of Transp. v. Perdue, 2008 OK 103 (Okla. 2008). “shall refuse to grant the right-of-way through and over his premises, the district judge of the county in which said real property may be situated shall, upon the application or petition of either party, and after ten (10) days' notice to the opposite party, direct the sheriff…”
State Ex Rel. Dept. of Transp. v. Cole, 2009 OK 40 (Okla. 2009). “[3] ¶ 11 Condemnation proceedings are initiated by one party filing a petition in the district court. 66 O.S.2001, § 53(A); 69 O.”
— Okla. Stat. tit. 66, § 53(B) — 2 cases
State Ex Rel. Dept. of Transp. v. Cole, 2009 OK 40 (Okla. 2009). “[3] ¶ 11 Condemnation proceedings are initiated by one party filing a petition in the district court. 66 O.S.2001, § 53(A); 69 O.”
W. Farmers Elec. Coop., Anadarko, Oklahoma v. Stephenson, 873 P.2d 311 (Okla. Civ. App. 1994).
— Okla. Stat. tit. 66, § 53(C) — 2 cases
State Ex Rel. Dep't of Transp. v. Perdue, 2008 OK 103 (Okla. 2008). “shall refuse to grant the right-of-way through and over his premises, the district judge of the county in which said real property may be situated shall, upon the application or petition of either party, and after ten (10) days' notice to the opposite party, direct the sheriff…”
State Ex Rel. Dept. of Transp. v. Cole, 2009 OK 40 (Okla. 2009). “[3] ¶ 11 Condemnation proceedings are initiated by one party filing a petition in the district court. 66 O.S.2001, § 53(A); 69 O.”
— Okla. Stat. tit. 66, § 53(D) — 4 cases
Williams Nat. Gas Co. v. Perkins, 1997 OK 72 (Okla. 1998). “See Okla.Stat. tit. 66, § 53(D) (1981). 2 . 203 Okla.”
State Ex Rel. Dept. of Transp. v. Cole, 2009 OK 40 (Okla. 2009). “[3] ¶ 11 Condemnation proceedings are initiated by one party filing a petition in the district court. 66 O.S.2001, § 53(A); 69 O.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.