Section 22-2-110. Award of special master and special master panel -- Time of filing; award to become part of record of proceedings; vesting of title in condemnor upon deposit of award into court; form of award; use in subsequent appeal

   (a) The award of the special master or the special master panel, in the event such a panel exists, shall be served in a manner consistent with Code Section 9-11-5 upon all the parties and filed with the clerk of the superior court of the county where the property or interest is situated within three days after the date on which such hearing is completed. The special master or the special master panel shall mail the award to the condemnor and any condemnees on the date of filing of the award and provide a certificate of service evidencing the mailing of such award.

(b) The award shall become a part of the record of the proceedings in said matter and shall condemn and vest title to the property or other interest in the condemning body upon the deposit by that body of the amount of the award into the registry of the court, subject to the demand of such condemnee or condemnees, according to their respective interests.

(c) The award shall be in the following form:
 
 
                                     AWARD                                     

   The special master appointed and chosen by the court to hear evidence and 
   give full consideration to all matters touching upon the value of the 
   property or interest sought to be condemned, as shown by the description of 
   the property or interest in the case of          (condemning body) versus          
   (acres of land or other described interest in said land) and          
   (condemnee), Civil action file no.    in superior court, having first taken 
   the oath as required by law of the special master, the same having been 
   filed with the clerk of the Superior Court of          County, and the special 
   master panel, in the event such a panel exists, having heard evidence under 
   oath and given consideration to the value of such property or interest on 
   the     day of     , at   :    .M., as provided for in the order of the 
   court, do decide and recommend to the court as follows:
         (1) I/We find and award to     , condemnee, the sum of $   , as the 
      actual market value of the property or interest sought to be condemned;
         (2) I/We find consequential damages to the remaining property or 
      interest in the amount of $   ;
         (3) I/We find consequential benefits to the remaining property or 
      interest in the amount of $    (never to exceed the amount of the 
      consequential damages);
         (4) I/We find and award to     , condemnee, the sum of $   , as the 
      value of any associated moving costs;
         (5) Balancing the consequential benefits against the consequential 
      damages, I/we find and award to the condemnee in this case in the total 
      sum of $   , and I/we respectfully recommend to the court that the said 
      property or interest be condemned by a judgment in rem to the use of the 
      condemnor upon the payment of the last stated sum into the registry of 
      the court, subject to the demands of the condemnee.
   This     day of     ,   .
 
                                                                               
                                                                 Special Master
 
                                                                               
                                                                       Assessor
 
                                                                               
                                                                       Assessor

(d) In any case where there is an appeal from the award of the special master or the special master panel, in the event such a panel exists, to a jury in the superior court, such award shall not be competent evidence. Any such appeal shall be a de novo investigation, and such award shall be detached from the papers in the case before the same are delivered to the jury.

Ga. L. 1957, p. 387, § 12; Ga. L. 1984, p. 682, § 3; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1539, § 5; Ga. L. 2006, p. 39, § 12/HB 1313.