R.I. Gen. Laws § 24-1-12: Late filing of petition.

In case any owner of or any person having an estate or interest in real property shall fail to file his or her petition as provided in § 24-1-8, the superior court for the county in which the real property is situated, in its discretion, may permit the filing of the petition within one year subsequent to the year following the time of the deposit in the superior court of the sum of money estimated to be just compensation for the property taken; provided, the person shall have had no actual knowledge of the taking of the land in season to file the petition; and provided, no other person or persons claiming to own the real property or estate or interest therein shall have been paid the value thereof; and provided, no judgment has been rendered against the city or town for the payment of the value to any other person or persons claiming to own the real estate.