Sec. 5.9. (a) As used in this section, “public utility” means a public utility, municipally owned utility, cooperatively owned utility, joint agency created under IC 8-1-2.2, municipal sanitation department operating under IC 36-9-23, sanitary district operating under IC 36-9-25, or an agency operating as a stormwater utility.

     (b) This section applies only to a public utility or pipeline company.

     (c) If:

(1) a public utility or pipeline company submits a written acquisition offer to the owner of a parcel of real estate under section 5 of this chapter; and

(2) the owner rejects the offer in writing;

the public utility or pipeline company, to acquire the parcel by the exercise of eminent domain, must file a complaint under this article not more than six (6) years after the date on which the public utility or pipeline company submitted the written acquisition offer to the owner.

     (d) If a public utility or pipeline company fails to meet the requirements set forth in subsection (c) concerning a parcel of real estate, the public utility or pipeline company may not initiate an action under this article to acquire the parcel through the power of eminent domain for the same project or a substantially similar project for at least two (2) years after the date on which the six (6) year period described in subsection (c) expires.

As added by P.L.163-2006, SEC.9.