Title 16 — Particular Actions, Proceedings and Matters. [Enacted title]

In an action to recover vacant and unimproved lots of ground it is not necessary, in order to maintain the defense of adversary possession, to show that the premises in controversy had been enclosed; but if it appears that the property had been assessed for taxation to the defend…

(a) In an action of ejectment, if the plaintiff’s title is established by proof, the verdict of the jury shall be generally for the plaintiff as to the whole or part of the property or interest claimed in the complaint, as the case may be. If the plaintiff fails to make satisfact…

A final judgment rendered in an action of ejectment is conclusive as to the title thereby established as between the parties to the action and all persons claiming under them since the commencement of the action.

In an action of ejectment, at any time before the trial, the defendant may give notice that if the verdict of the jury is in favor of the plaintiff’s title the defendant will claim the benefit of permanent improvements that may have been placed on the property by the defendant or…

Either party who feels aggrieved by the assessment provided for by section 16-1116 , may, within four days after the verdict, move to set the assessment aside, and the court may, for good cause shown, set the verdict aside and order another jury to be empaneled in the cause to ma…

When the damages of the plaintiff, assessed as provided by section 16-1116 , exceed the value of the permanent improvements as ascertained by the jury, the plaintiff shall be entitled to a judgment for the excess in like manner as directed by section 16-1109 .

When the value of the improvements, ascertained as provided by this chapter, equal but do not exceed the plaintiff’s damages, as found by the jury, the plaintiff shall be entitled to judgment only for the recovery of the property sued for and costs.

If the value of the improvements referred to in this chapter is found by the jury to exceed the damages of the plaintiff, the plaintiff may elect either to pay to the defendant the amount of the excess or to demand of the defendant the value of the plaintiff’s property, without t…

When the plaintiff pays to the defendant, within the time fixed therefor by the court, or, in case of the defendant’s refusal to accept the payment, pays into court for the defendant’s use the amount of the excess of the value of the improvements over the damages of the plaintiff…

If the plaintiff tenders to the defendant a deed as provided by section 16-1120 and demands the value of his property without the improvements, as found by the jury, and the defendant fails or refuses to pay the value within the time fixed therefor by the court, the plaintiff sha…

If the plaintiff fails or refuses either to pay the defendant the excess of the value of the improvements over the amount of the plaintiff’s damages, or, as provided by the chapter, to tender a deed to the defendant and accept from him the value of the plaintiff’s property, exclu…

(a) In a case between landlord and tenant, where one-half year’s rent or more is in arrear and unpaid, and the landlord or lessor to whom the rent is due has the right by law, in default of a sufficiency of goods and chattels whereon to distrain for the satisfaction of the rent d…

(a) A person entitled to claim real property, after the death of another person who has a prior estate therein, may, not oftener than once a year, petition the court for an order directing the production of the tenant for life, as prescribed by this subchapter, by a person, named…

Upon the presentation of the petition and affidavit prescribed by section 16-1151 , the court shall issue an order to the person named in the petition to produce and show to the persons named in the order by the petitioner not exceeding two in number, at such time and place as th…

(a) If a person upon whom an order, as prescribed by section 16-1152, is served, refuses or neglects to produce the person upon whose life the prior estate depends in the manner provided by the order, the court shall order him to produce the person in court or before commissioner…

If before, or at the time of, the presentation of the commissioners’ return provided for by section 16-1153 , or, where commissioners are not appointed, at any time before a final order is made, the party upon whom the first or second order is served presents to the court presump…

The possession of real property that has been awarded to a petitioner pursuant to this subchapter, upon the presumption of the death of the person upon whose life the prior estate depends, shall be restored, by an order of the court, to the person evicted, or to his heirs, or leg…

A person evicted, as prescribed by this subchapter, may, when the presumption upon which he is evicted is erroneous, maintain a civil action against the person who has occupied the property, or his executor or administrator, to recover the full profits of the property during the …

When a guardian, trustee, or other person holding an estate or interest determinable upon the life of another person, shows by affidavit or otherwise to the satisfaction of the court, that: (1) he has used his utmost efforts to procure the tenant for life to appear in the court o…

A guardian or trustee for an infant, or other person having an estate determinable upon life or lives, who, after the determination of the particular estate or interest, without the express consent of the person or persons who is or are next and immediately entitled thereto, hold…

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia has exclusive jurisdiction of all proceedings for the condemnation of real property authorized by subchapters IV and V of this chapter, with full power to hear and determine all issues of law and fact that may arise in…

The chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia shall assign from time to time, and for such periods as he determines, one of the judges of the court to hear cases involving the condemnation of real property in the District of Columbia. In case of…

The Superior Court of the District of Columbia has jurisdiction of all proceedings for the condemnation of real property authorized by subchapters II and III of this chapter with full power to hear and determine all issues of law and fact that may arise in the proceedings.

When real property in the District of Columbia is needed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia for sites of schoolhouses, fire or police stations, rights-of-way for roads, highways, streets and alleys or parts thereof, rights-of-way for water mains or sewers, or any other auth…

For purposes of this subchapter, a special jury list shall be prepared of not less than one hundred persons who are qualified jurors in the District of Columbia. When a jury is required for a condemnation proceeding under this subchapter, the names of such number of persons as ma…

In each action brought pursuant to this subchapter, the court shall appoint, from among the persons whose names are drawn pursuant to section 16-1312 , a jury of five capable and disinterested persons, and shall administer to the persons so drawn an oath or affirmation that they:…

(a) In an action pursuant to this subchapter, the plaintiffs may file in a cause, with the complaint or at any time before judgment, a declaration of taking, signed by the Mayor, declaring that the property is thereby taken for use of the District of Columbia. The declaration of …

After the filing of the declaration of taking, and the deposit of the money in the registry of the court, as provided for by section 16-1314 , the court, upon the application of the parties in interest, may order that the money so deposited, or any part thereof, be paid forthwith…

Upon the filing of the declaration of taking provided for by section 16-1314 , the court may fix the time within which and the terms upon which the parties in possession shall be required to surrender possession to the plaintiffs. The court may make such orders in respect of incu…

The court, before accepting the jury in a condemnation proceeding pursuant to this subchapter, shall hear any objections that may be made to any member thereof, and may pass upon any objection, and may excuse any juror or cause any vacancy in the jury, when empaneled, to be fille…

(a) Objections or exceptions to an appraisement of the jury pursuant to section 16-1317 may be filed within twenty days after the return of the appraisement to the court. The court shall hear and determine any objections or exceptions so filed, and may vacate and set aside the ap…

If the appraisement of the jury pursuant to section 16-1317 is not objected to by the parties interested, it shall be confirmed by the court, or, if the appraisement of the new jury is confirmed by the court, the Mayor shall pay the amount awarded by the jury out of the appropria…

In every case involving the condemnation of real property under this subchapter, at the close of the hearing thereof, the court shall fix a time in which the jury shall return its verdict or the report to the court the reasons why the verdict or appraisement can not be returned b…

In a condemnation proceeding pursuant to this subchapter, it is optional with the Mayor to abide by the verdict of the jury and occupy the property appraised by them, or, within a reasonable time to be fixed by the court in its order confirming the verdict, to abandon the proceed…

In order to promote the orderly and proper development of the seat of government of the United States, the Mayor of the District of Columbia may acquire, in the public interest, by gift, dedication, exchange, purchase, or condemnation, fee simple title to land or rights in, or on…

(a) The Mayor of the District of Columbia may, with the consent of the Council in accordance with section 10-801, upon completion of public improvements: (1) subdivide, and sell, at public or private sale, or exchange, any excess real property acquired pursuant to this subchapter…

When excess real property is to be sold pursuant to section 16-1332 , notice of not less than twenty days before the sale shall be published in a daily newspaper published in the District of Columbia, and notice shall be sent before the sale, by registered mail or by certified ma…

When the authorities of the District of Columbia having jurisdiction of real property, rights, or easements acquired pursuant to this subchapter, elect to retain any of them for the use of the District, they may use the property, rights or easements for park, playground, highway,…

When real property is purchased pursuant to this subchapter in excess of that needed for a particular project or improvement, appropriations available for the payment of the purchase price, costs, and expenses incident to the project or improvement may be used in the payment of t…

(a) When, pursuant to this subchapter, excess real property is condemned by the Mayor, the condemnation proceedings for the acquisition of the property shall be in accordance with subchapter II of this chapter. (b) Appropriations available for the payment of awards, damages, and …

This subchapter does not repeal any provisions of existing law pertaining to the condemnation or acquisition of streets, alleys, or land, or the law or laws relating to the subdividing of lands in the District of Columbia.

As used in this subchapter, “acquiring authority” means the head of an executive department or agency of the United States, or other officer of the United States, or board or commission of the United States, authorized by law to acquire real property in the District of Columbia f…

When, for the purposes specified by section 16-1351 , it is deemed necessary or advantageous to do so, the acquiring authority may acquire real property in the District of Columbia in the name of the United States by condemnation under judicial process. The Attorney General of th…

(a) In an action pursuant to this subchapter, the plaintiff may file in the cause, with the complaint or at any time before judgment, a declaration of taking signed by the acquiring authority empowered by law to acquire the property described in the complaint, declaring that the …

After the filing of the declaration of taking, and the deposit of the money in the registry of the court, as provided for by section 16-1353 , the court, upon the application of the parties in interest, may order that the money so deposited, or any part thereof, be paid forthwith…

Upon the filing of a declaration of taking provided for by section 16-1353 , the court may fix the time within which and the terms upon which the parties in possession shall be required to surrender possession to the plaintiff. The court may make such orders in respect of encumbr…

In a proceeding pursuant to this subchapter, after all defendants have been served with notice, and there has been return of service, as provided by rule 71A(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure , and after defendants have appeared or answered in the manner provided by rule…

When the date for trial has been set, as provided by section 16-1356 , the court shall order the names of a number of persons, not less than twenty, selected from the special jury list provided by section 16-1312 , and the names of the persons selected shall be certified to the c…

The jurors selected and impaneled, as provided by section 16-1357 , shall take an oath or affirmation, administered by the court, that they: (1) are not interested in any manner in the property to be condemned; (2) are not, to their knowledge, related to any person interested in …

After being selected, impaneled, and sworn, as provided by sections 16-1357 and 16-1358 , and before hearing the evidence, the jury, in order to inspect the property to be acquired, shall be taken upon the property by the United States marshal at a time fixed by the court. All pa…