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HRS §171-142

Lease rights for businesses forced out by government land taking

This section gives a business tenant forced out by government land taking a first chance to lease a state relocation site. The state must negotiate in good faith, but if no lease is agreed within 180 days, the state can offer the site to someone else.

businesseslandlords

The statute, as written — Lease for lessees dislocated by condemnation proceedings

(a) For purposes of this section: (1) "Dislocated lessee" means any lessee engaged in commercial or industrial uses who has been or will be displaced from private property which is acquired by the State or any county for public use by the power of eminent domain or threat thereof; and (2) "Eligible relocation site" means a site in an industrial park created under this chapter or on other state land, designated as an appropriate relocation site for dislocated lessees by law, or by resolution adopted by the board of land and natural resources and approved by the legislature by concurrent resolution. (b) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any dislocated lessee shall have the right of first refusal to enter into a lease for an eligible relocation site. (c) The board shall issue a lease to a dislocated lessee for an eligible relocation site under mutually agreeable terms, conditions, and lease rent. The lease shall be issued through negotiations, without regard to the limitations set forth in section 171-16(c) and section 171-59(a). The terms, conditions and rent under the lease shall be in conformance with chapter 171, and the board shall include lease covenants in each lease for the placement and construction of improvements in accordance with minimum standards established by applicable county building codes. (d) The board shall negotiate in good faith with each dislocated lessee. If the board and dislocated lessee cannot agree to a lease within one hundred and eighty days from the date the dislocated lessee receives notice of the availability of an eligible relocation site, the board shall have no further obligation to negotiate with or issue a lease to the dislocated lessee for that economic unit, and may issue a lease for the economic unit to another person after the one hundred and eighty-day period according to the provisions of chapter 171.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§171-16 Public notice rules for selling or leasing state land

§171-59 Leasing public land through negotiation

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.