In the event the department should determine that the property interests acquired under the authority of this chapter are no longer necessary for the purposes for which they were acquired, the department shall dispose of the same in the following manner, when in the discretion of the department it is to the best interests of the state of Washington to do so, except that property purchased with educational funds or held in trust for educational purposes shall be sold only in the same manner as are state lands:

(1) Where the state property necessitating the acquisition of private property interests for access purposes under authority of this chapter is sold or exchanged, the acquired property interests may be sold or exchanged as an appurtenance of the state property when it is determined by the department that sale or exchange of the state property and acquired property interests as one parcel is in the best interests of the state.

(2) If the acquired property interests are not sold or exchanged as provided in subsection (1) of this section, the department shall notify the person or persons from whom the property interest was acquired, stating that the property interests are to be sold, and that the person or persons shall have the right to purchase the same at the appraised price. The notice shall be given by registered letter or certified mail, return receipt requested, mailed to the last known address of the person or persons. If the address of the person or persons is unknown, the notice shall be published twice in an official newspaper of general circulation in the county where the lands or a portion thereof is located. The second notice shall be published not less than ten nor more than thirty days after the notice is first published. The person or persons shall have thirty days after receipt of the registered letter or five days after the last date of publication, as the case may be, to notify the department, in writing, of their intent to purchase the offered property interest. The purchaser shall include with his or her notice of intention to purchase, cash payment, certified check, or money order in an amount not less than one-third of the appraised price. No instrument conveying property interests shall issue from the department until the full price of the property is received by the department. All costs of publication required under this section shall be added to the appraised price and collected by the department upon sale of the property interests.

(3) If the property interests are not sold or exchanged as provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section, the department shall notify the owners of land abutting the property interests in the same manner as provided in subsection (2) of this section and their notice of intent to purchase shall be given in the manner and in accordance with the same time limits as are set forth in subsection (2) of this section. However, if more than one abutting owner gives notice of intent to purchase the property interests, the department shall apportion them in relation to the lineal footage bordering each side of the property interests to be sold, and apportion the costs to the interested purchasers in relation thereto. Further, no sale is authorized by this section unless the department is satisfied that the amounts to be received from the several purchasers will equal or exceed the appraised price of the entire parcel plus any costs of publishing notices.

(4) If no sale or exchange is consummated as provided in subsections (1) through (3) of this section, the department shall sell the properties in the same manner as state lands are sold.

(5) Any disposal of property interests authorized by this chapter shall be subject to any existing rights previously granted by the department.

Part headings not law—2004 c 199: See note following RCW 79.02.010.

Intent—2003 c 334: See note following RCW 79.02.010.