Section 44-3-97. Eminent domain; compensation; reallocation of interests; court determination; amendment to declaration

   (a) If any portion of the common elements is taken by eminent domain, the award therefor shall be allocated to the unit owners in proportion to their respective undivided interests in the common elements unless otherwise provided in the condominium instruments; provided, however, that the portion of the award attributable to the taking of any permanently assigned limited common element shall be allocated to the unit owner of the unit to which that limited common element was so assigned at the time of the taking. If any limited common element is permanently assigned to more than one unit at the time of the taking, the portion of the award attributable to the taking thereof shall be allocated in equal shares to the unit owners of the units to which it was so assigned or in such other shares as the declaration may specify for this purpose.

(b) If one or more units are taken by eminent domain, the undivided interest in the common elements pertaining to any such units shall then pertain to the remaining units to be allocated to them in proportion to their respective undivided interests in the common elements. The court shall enter a decree reflecting the reallocation of undivided interests produced thereby; and the award shall include, without limitation, just compensation to the unit owner of any unit taken for his undivided interest in the common elements as well as for his unit.

(c) If a portion of any unit is taken by eminent domain, the court shall determine the fair market value of the portion of such unit not taken; and the undivided interest in the common elements pertaining to any such unit shall be reduced, in the case of each such unit, in proportion to the diminution in the fair market value of such unit resulting from the taking. The portion of undivided interest in the common elements thereby divested from the unit owner of any such unit shall be reallocated among that unit and the other units in the condominium in proportion to their respective undivided interests in the common elements. Any units partially taken shall participate in such reallocation on the basis of their undivided interests as reduced in accordance with the preceding sentence. The court shall enter a decree reflecting the reallocation of undivided interests produced thereby; and the award shall include, without limitation, just compensation to the unit owner of any unit partially taken for that portion of his undivided interest in the common elements divested from him by operation of the first sentence of this subsection and not revested in him by operation of the second sentence of this subsection as well as for that portion of his unit taken by eminent domain.

(d) If the taking of a portion of any unit makes it impractical to use the remaining portion of that unit for the primary purpose permitted by the condominium instruments, the entire undivided interest in the common elements pertaining to that unit shall then pertain to the remaining units, to be allocated to them in proportion to their respective undivided interests in the common elements, and the remaining portion of that unit shall thenceforth be a part of the common elements. The court shall enter a decree reflecting the reallocation of the undivided interests produced thereby; and the award shall include, without limitation, just compensation to the unit owner of such unit for his entire undivided interest in the common elements and for his entire unit.

(e) Votes in the association and liability for future common expenses pertaining to any unit or units taken or partially taken by eminent domain shall then pertain to the remaining units, to be allocated to them in proportion to their relative voting strength in the association and liability for common expenses, respectively, with any unit partially taken participating in such reallocation as though its voting strength and its liability for common expenses in the association had been reduced in proportion to the reduction in its undivided interest in the common elements and the decree of the court shall provide accordingly.

(f) Any or all of the matters which, under this Code section, are prescribed for the determination of the court may instead be resolved by amendment to the declaration agreed to by unit owners to which more than 50 percent of the votes in the association pertain, including the unit owner of all units wholly or partially taken, or to which there is appurtenant any permanently assigned limited common element wholly or partially taken, together with the mortgagee of each such unit.

Ga. L. 1975, p. 609, § 6.