Negotiating with the landlord before condemnation

(a) Upon the filing of a petition by the number of lessees required by section 516-22 with the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation, the corporation shall request the lessor and the lessees or their designated agents to negotiate the just compensation which the lessees will pay to the lessor to acquire the lessor's interest in the development tract. If no agreement is reached within sixty days after the request to negotiate, the parties shall simultaneously exchange written final offers together with any appraisals, other documents, and any other expert opinions on which their negotiating positions were based. Copies of the final offers and related documents shall be submitted to the corporation and the corporation may use the information in determining, prior to commencing condemnation proceedings, the probability that lessees will be able to meet the financial requirements of section 516-33(a)(4). (b) This preliminary negotiation shall be in advance of and shall not constitute any part of any action in condemnation or eminent domain. Any offers, appraisals, other documents, or any other expert opinions giving a value of the lessor's interest in the development tract which were prepared by a party for use in preliminary negotiations as provided for in this section, for setting qualification amounts pursuant to section 516-33(a)(4), or for negotiations to determine the just compensation after designation to acquire the lessor's interest in the development tract, and were not prepared for use in the trial shall not be discoverable, usable, or admissible by an opposing or adverse party in any action, suit, or proceeding brought under this chapter.