§ 16-1116 — Improvements; notice; good faith; directions to jury; measure of damages.

District of Columbia § 16-1116

• Jurisdiction: District of Columbia
• Title 16: Particular Actions, Proceedings and Matters. [Enacted title]
• Ch. 11: Ejectment and Other Real Property Actions.
• Subch. I: Ejectment.

Text

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 those under whom he claims, and offer evidence at the trial tending to show that he or those under whom he claims had peaceably entered into possession of the premises in controversy under a title which he or they had reason to believe and did believe to be good, and had erected valuable and permanent improvements on the property, which were begun in good faith before the commencement of the action. The court shall then direct the jury, in case they find in favor of the plaintiff’s title and also find that the permanent improvements were made by the defendant, or those under whom he claims, under the circumstances described in this section, to assess the:

(1) damages of the plaintiff, being the clear value over and above taxes and necessary expenses of the use and occupation of the property, exclusive of the improvements, during the whole period of the occupation of the property to the date of the verdict, and any damage done to the property, by waste or otherwise, by the parties during the occupation;

(2) present value of any permanent improvements that may have been placed on the premises by the defendant or those under whom he claims; and

(3) present value of the property of the plaintiff without and exclusive of the improvements.

Legislative History

Dec. 23, 1963, 77 Stat. 567, Pub. L. 88-241, § 1; Mar. 24, 1998, D.C. Law 12-81, § 10(o), 45 DCR 745