Sec. 15. The lessor corporation shall acquire, own, and hold in fee simple the land on which a school building or buildings are to be erected under this chapter. A school corporation that proposes to lease such a school building, either alone or jointly with another school corporation, and owns the land on which it desires that the building or buildings be erected may sell and transfer that land to the lessor corporation in fee simple, subject to the following conditions:

(1) Before the sale may take place, the governing body of the school corporation must file a petition with the circuit court of the county in which the school corporation is located, requesting the appointment of:

(A) one (1) disinterested freeholder of the school corporation as an appraiser; and

(B) two (2) disinterested appraisers licensed under IC 25-34.1;

who are residents of Indiana to determine the fair market value of the land. One (1) of the appraisers described in clause (B) must reside not more than fifty (50) miles from the land.

(2) Upon their appointment, the three (3) appraisers shall proceed to fix the fair market value of the land and shall report the amount fixed to the circuit court within two (2) weeks after their appointment.

(3) The school corporation may sell the land to the lessor corporation for an amount not less than the amount fixed as the fair market value by the three (3) appraisers, which shall be paid in cash upon delivery of the deed by the school corporation to the lessor corporation. However, if the land was acquired by the school corporation within three (3) years immediately preceding the date of the filing of the petition with the circuit court, the land may not be sold for an amount less than the amount paid by the school corporation for the land.

[Pre-2006 Recodification Citation: 21-5-11-8.]

As added by P.L.2-2006, SEC.170. Amended by P.L.113-2006, SEC.15.