Section 18-4-17

Expenses incurred from declaratory judgment proceedings.

Where a declaratory judgment proceeding is instituted by the owner of any right, title, or interest in real property because of use of his or her property in any program or project undertaken by a state agency, the court, rendering a judgment for the plaintiff in the proceeding and awarding compensation for the taking of property, or the Attorney General effecting a settlement of any proceeding, shall determine and award or allow to a plaintiff, as a part of a judgment or settlement, a sum that shall, in the opinion of the court or the Attorney General, as the case may be, reimburse the plaintiff for his or her reasonable costs, disbursements, and expenses, including reasonable attorney, appraisal, and engineering fees, actually incurred because of the proceeding.

(Act 99-582, p. 1318, §18.)