P.R. Laws tit. 22, § 387
The Governor of Puerto Rico or the Secretary of Transportation and Public Works is hereby empowered to acquire, at the request of the Authority, on behalf and in representation of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, either by purchase, agreement, or the exercise of the power of eminent domain, or by any other lawful means, any title to property or interest therein which the Authority may deem necessary or convenient for carrying out the purposes of this subchapter. The said properties, or any interest therein, are hereby declared of public utility, and once acquired shall be placed in the possession of the Authority for the said purposes. In case the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any of its agencies, instrumentalities, or municipalities, needs to acquire by purchase or condemnation, for purposes of public utility or social benefit, lands included in the Southwestern Puerto Rico Irrigation District, the court of justice shall, when determining the fair compensation corresponding to the owners of such lands for the purchase or condemnation thereof, take as a basis the market value of such lands prior to the approval of the legislation authorizing the establishment of the irrigation system in said district, plus any improvements, investments, and irrigation costs made or incurred, but no compensation whatsoever shall be awarded for any raise in the price of market value of such lands by reason of the irrigation works or any other public improvement or agricultural development project under way or to be undertaken by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or its agencies or instrumentalities. Any property or interest therein belonging to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or to any political subdivision, or public agency or instrumentality, acquired before or after the approval of this subchapter and deemed by the Authority to be requisite or convenient for the carrying out of the purposes thereof, shall, in the case of properties belonging to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, be placed, with the previous approval of the Governor, at the disposal and in the hands of the Authority by the official in whose charge it may be, and, in the case of properties or any interest therein belonging to political subdivisions or public agencies or instrumentalities of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, shall be conveyed to the latter for use by the Authority in the carrying out of the said purposes, under such terms and conditions as the Governor may approve.
History —June 10, 1953, No. 65, p. 182, § 27.