Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 3 - Procedure to Condemn
Section 302 - Declaration of taking

(a) Condemnation and passage of title.--
(1) Condemnation under the power of condemnation given by law to a condemnor shall be effected only by the filing in court of a declaration of taking with the security required under section 303(a) (relating to security required).
(2) The title which the condemnor acquires in the property condemned shall pass to the condemnor on the date of the filing, and the condemnor shall be entitled to possession under section 307 (relating to possession, right of entry and payment of compensation).
(b) Contents.--The declaration of taking shall be in writing and executed by the condemnor and shall be captioned as a proceeding in rem and contain the following:
(1) The name and address of the condemnor.
(2) A specific reference to the statute and section under which the condemnation is authorized.
(3) A specific reference to the action, whether by ordinance, resolution or otherwise, by which the declaration of taking was authorized, including the date when the action was taken and the place where the record may be examined.
(4) A brief description of the purpose of the condemnation.
(5) A description of the property condemned, sufficient for identification, specifying the municipal corporation and the county or counties where the property taken is located, a reference to the place of recording in the office of the recorder of deeds of plans showing the property condemned or a statement that plans showing the property condemned are on the same day being lodged for record or filed in the office of the recorder of deeds in the county in accordance with section 304 (relating to recording notice of condemnation).
(6) A statement of the nature of the title acquired, if any.
(7) A statement specifying where a plan showing the condemned property may be inspected in the county in which the property taken is located.
(8) A statement of how just compensation has been made or secured.
(c) More than one property included in declaration.--The condemnor may include in one declaration of taking any or all of the properties specified in the action by which the declaration of taking was authorized.
(d) Fee.--The prothonotary shall charge one fee for filing each declaration of taking, which shall be the same regardless of the number of properties or condemnees included.
(e) Filing.--The condemnor shall file within one year of the action authorizing the declaration of taking a declaration of taking covering all properties included in the authorization not otherwise acquired by the condemnor within this time.