---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 4653"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "4653"
heading: "Expenses incidental to transfer of title to United States"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/4653"
units:
  - "Chapter 61 — Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies for Federal and Federally Assisted Programs"
  - "Subchapter III — Uniform Real Property Acquisition Policy"
---

# §4653. Expenses incidental to transfer of title to United States


The head of a [Federal agency](/usc/42/4601.md?p=1), as soon as practicable after the date of payment of the purchase price or the date of deposit in court of funds to satisfy the award of compensation in a condemnation proceeding to acquire real property, whichever is the earlier, shall reimburse the [owner](/usc/42/13641.md?p=4), to the extent the head of such [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) deems fair and reasonable, for expenses he necessarily incurred for—

- (1) recording fees, transfer taxes, and similar expenses incidental to conveying such real property to the United States;
- (2) penalty costs for prepayment of any preexisting recorded [mortgage](/usc/42/4601.md?p=9) entered into in good faith encumbering such real property; and
- (3) the pro rata portion of real property taxes paid which are allocable to a period subsequent to the date of vesting title in the United States, or the effective date of possession of such real property by the United States, whichever is the earlier.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 91–646, title III, § 303, Jan. 2, 1971, 84 Stat. 1906.)