Expenses incidental to transfer of title to the Postal Service.

§ 777.33 Expenses incidental to transfer of title to the Postal Service. (a) Reimbursement. When property is acquired through the exercise or the threat of the exercise of eminent domain, the owner shall be reimbursed for all reasonable expenses he or she necessarily incurred in conveying the real property to the Postal Service for: (1) Recording fees, transfer taxes, documentary stamps, evidence of title, boundary surveys, legal descriptions of the real property, and similar incidental expenses. However, the Postal Service will not pay costs solely required to perfect the owner's title to the real property. (2) Penalty costs and other charges for prepayment of any preexisting recorded mortgage, entered into in good faith, encumbering the real property. (3) The pro rata portion of any prepaid real property taxes which are allocable to the period after the Postal Service obtains title to the property or effective possession of it, whichever is earlier. (b) Direct Payment. Whenever feasible the Postal Service must pay these costs directly and thus avoid the need for an owner to pay such costs and then seek reimbursement from the Postal Service. (c) Certain Litigation Expenses. The owner of the real property acquired must be reimbursed any reasonable expenses, including reasonable attorney, appraisal, and engineering fees which the owner actually incurred because of a condemnation proceeding if: (1) The final judgment of the court is that the Postal Service cannot acquire the real property by condemnation; or (2) The condemnation proceeding is abandoned by the Postal Service other than under an agreed-upon settlement; or (3) The court having jurisdiction renders a judgment in favor of the owner in an inverse condemnation proceeding or the Postal Service effects a settlement of such a proceeding.