348                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 150

best use of such property which a seller, willing but not obligated to
sell, would accept for the property, and which a buyer, willing but
not obligated to buy, would pay therefor excluding any increment
in value proximately caused by the public project for which the
property condemned is needed, plus the amount, if any, by which
such price reflects a diminution in value occurring between the effec-
tive date of legislative authority for the acquisition of such prop-
erty and the date of actual taking if the trier of facts shall find that
such diminution in value was proximately caused by the public proj-
ect for which the property condemned is needed, or by announce-
ments or acts of the plaintiff or its officials concerning such public
project, and was beyond the reasonable control of the property
owner.

If the condemnor is vested with a continuing power of condemna-
tion, the phrase the effective date of legislative authority for the
acquisition of such property, as used in this section, shall mean the
date of specific administrative determination to acquire such prop-
erty.

It shall further be proper, for the defendant property owner who
so elects, to present as evidence in a condemnation proceeding, the
assessed value of the property, as determined by the Department of
Assessments and Taxation, if such assessed value is greater than
the appraised value placed on the property by the condemning
authority.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1966.

Approved April 14, 1966.

CHAPTER 150
(Senate Bill 343)

AN ACT to repeal Section 5 of Article 70B of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1957 Edition and 1965 Cumulative Supplement),
title "Commission on the Aging", repealing the law which re-
stricts the general fund appropriation of the Commission on the
Aging.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 5 of Article 70B of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1957 Edition and 1965 Cumulative Supplement), title "Commission
on the Aging", be and the same is hereby repealed.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1966.

Approved April 14, 1966.