SECTIONS 810-824 - California Statutes

EVIDENCE CODE

SECTION 810-824

810. (a) Except where another rule is provided by statute, this
article provides special rules of evidence applicable to any action
in which the value of property is to be ascertained.
(b) This article does not govern ad valorem property tax
assessment or equalization proceedings.

811. As used in this article, "value of property" means market
value of any of the following:
(a) Real property or any interest therein.
(b) Real property or any interest therein and tangible personal
property valued as a unit.

812. This article is not intended to alter or change the existing
substantive law, whether statutory or decisional, interpreting the
meaning of "market value," whether denominated "fair market value" or
otherwise.

813. (a) The value of property may be shown only by the opinions of
any of the following:
(1) Witnesses qualified to express such opinions.
(2) The owner or the spouse of the owner of the property or
property interest being valued.
(3) An officer, regular employee, or partner designated by a
corporation, partnership, or unincorporated association that is the
owner of the property or property interest being valued, if the
designee is knowledgeable as to the value of the property or property
interest.
(b) Nothing in this section prohibits a view of the property being
valued or the admission of any other admissible evidence (including
but not limited to evidence as to the nature and condition of the
property and, in an eminent domain proceeding, the character of the
improvement proposed to be constructed by the plaintiff) for the
limited purpose of enabling the court, jury, or referee to understand
and weigh the testimony given under subdivision (a); and such
evidence, except evidence of the character of the improvement
proposed to be constructed by the plaintiff in an eminent domain
proceeding, is subject to impeachment and rebuttal.
(c) For the purposes of subdivision (a), "owner of the property or
property interest being valued" includes, but is not limited to, the
following persons:
(1) A person entitled to possession of the property.
(2) Either party in an action or proceeding to determine the
ownership of the property between the parties if the court determines
that it would not be in the interest of efficient administration of
justice to determine the issue of ownership prior to the admission of
the opinion of the party.

814. The opinion of a witness as to the value of property is
limited to such an opinion as is based on matter perceived by or
personally known to the witness or made known to the witness at or
before the hearing, whether or not admissible, that is of a type that
reasonably may be relied upon by an expert in forming an opinion as
to the value of property, including but not limited to the matters
listed in Sections 815 to 821, inclusive, unless a witness is
precluded by law from using such matter as a basis for an opinion.

815. When relevant to the determination of the value of property, a
witness may take into account as a basis for an opinion the price
and other terms and circumstances of any sale or contract to sell and
purchase which included the property or property interest being
valued or any part thereof if the sale or contract was freely made in
good faith within a reasonable time before or after the date of
valuation, except that in an eminent domain proceeding where the sale
or contract to sell and purchase includes only the property or
property interest being taken or a part thereof, such sale or
contract to sell and purchase may not be taken into account if it
occurs after the filing of the lis pendens.

816. When relevant to the determination of the value of property, a
witness may take into account as a basis for his opinion the price
and other terms and circumstances of any sale or contract to sell and
purchase comparable property if the sale or contract was freely made
in good faith within a reasonable time before or after the date of
valuation. In order to be considered comparable, the sale or contract
must have been made sufficiently near in time to the date of
valuation, and the property sold must be located sufficiently near
the property being valued, and must be sufficiently alike in respect
to character, size, situation, usability, and improvements, to make
it clear that the property sold and the property being valued are
comparable in value and that the price realized for the property sold
may fairly be considered as shedding light on the value of the
property being valued.

817. (a) Subject to subdivision (b), when relevant to the
determination of the value of property, a witness may take into
account as a basis for an opinion the rent reserved and other terms
and circumstances of any lease which included the property or
property interest being valued or any part thereof which was in
effect within a reasonable time before or after the date of
valuation, except that in an eminent domain proceeding where the
lease includes only the property or property interest being taken or
a part thereof, such lease may not be taken into account in the
determination of the value of property if it is entered into after
the filing of the lis pendens.
(b) A witness may take into account a lease providing for a rental
fixed by a percentage or other measurable portion of gross sales or
gross income from a business conducted on the leased property only
for the purpose of arriving at an opinion as to the reasonable net
rental value attributable to the property or property interest being
valued as provided in Section 819 or determining the value of a
leasehold interest.

818. For the purpose of determining the capitalized value of the
reasonable net rental value attributable to the property or property
interest being valued as provided in Section 819 or determining the
value of a leasehold interest, a witness may take into account as a
basis for his opinion the rent reserved and other terms and
circumstances of any lease of comparable property if the lease was
freely made in good faith within a reasonable time before or after
the date of valuation.

819. When relevant to the determination of the value of property, a
witness may take into account as a basis for his opinion the
capitalized value of the reasonable net rental value attributable to
the land and existing improvements thereon (as distinguished from the
capitalized value of the income or profits attributable to the
business conducted thereon).

820. When relevant to the determination of the value of property, a
witness may take into account as a basis for his opinion the value
of the property or property interest being valued as indicated by the
value of the land together with the cost of replacing or reproducing
the existing improvements thereon, if the improvements enhance the
value of the property or property interest for its highest and best
use, less whatever depreciation or obsolescence the improvements have
suffered.

821. When relevant to the determination of the value of property, a
witness may take into account as a basis for his opinion the nature
of the improvements on properties in the general vicinity of the
property or property interest being valued and the character of the
existing uses being made of such properties.

822. (a) In an eminent domain or inverse condemnation proceeding,
notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 814 to 821, inclusive, the
following matter is inadmissible as evidence and shall not be taken
into account as a basis for an opinion as to the value of property:
(1) The price or other terms and circumstances of an acquisition
of property or a property interest if the acquisition was for a
public use for which the property could have been taken by eminent
domain.
The price or other terms and circumstances shall not be excluded
pursuant to this paragraph if the proceeding relates to the valuation
of all or part of a water system as defined in Section 240 of the
Public Utilities Code.
(2) The price at which an offer or option to purchase or lease the
property or property interest being valued or any other property was
made, or the price at which the property or interest was optioned,
offered, or listed for sale or lease, except that an option, offer,
or listing may be introduced by a party as an admission of another
party to the proceeding; but nothing in this subdivision permits an
admission to be used as direct evidence upon any matter that may be
shown only by opinion evidence under Section 813.
(3) The value of any property or property interest as assessed for
taxation purposes or the amount of taxes which may be due on the
property, but nothing in this subdivision prohibits the consideration
of actual or estimated taxes for the purpose of determining the
reasonable net rental value attributable to the property or property
interest being valued.
(4) An opinion as to the value of any property or property
interest other than that being valued.
(5) The influence upon the value of the property or property
interest being valued of any noncompensable items of value, damage,
or injury.
(6) The capitalized value of the income or rental from any
property or property interest other than that being valued.
(b) In an action other than an eminent domain or inverse
condemnation proceeding, the matters listed in subdivision (a) are
not admissible as evidence, and may not be taken into account as a
basis for an opinion as to the value of property, except to the
extent permitted under the rules of law otherwise applicable.

823. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the value
of property for which there is no relevant, comparable market may be
determined by any method of valuation that is just and equitable.

824. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a
just and equitable method of determining the value of nonprofit,
special use property, as defined by Section 1235.155 of the Code of
Civil Procedure, for which there is no relevant, comparable market,
is the cost of purchasing land and the reasonable cost of making it
suitable for the conduct of the same nonprofit, special use, together
with the cost of constructing similar improvements. The method for
determining compensation for improvements shall be as set forth in
subdivision (b).
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a witness
providing opinion testimony on the value of nonprofit, special use
property, as defined by Section 1235.155 of the Code of Civil
Procedure, for which there is no relevant, comparable market, shall
base his or her opinion on the value of reproducing the improvements
without taking into consideration any depreciation or obsolescence of
the improvements.
(c) This section does not apply to actions or proceedings
commenced by a public entity or public utility to acquire real
property or any interest in real property for the use of water,
sewer, electricity, telephone, natural gas, or flood control
facilities or rights-of-way where those acquisitions neither require
removal or destruction of existing improvements, nor render the
property unfit for the owner's present or proposed use.