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The Florida Senate

2015 Florida Statutes

Title XXVIII NATURAL RESOURCES; CONSERVATION, RECLAMATION, AND USE
Chapter 373 WATER RESOURCES Entire Chapter
SECTION 089
Sale or exchange of lands, or interests or rights in lands.
F.S. 373.089
373.089 Sale or exchange of lands, or interests or rights in lands.—The governing board of the district may sell lands, or interests or rights in lands, to which the district has acquired title or to which it may hereafter acquire title in the following manner:
(1) Any lands, or interests or rights in lands, determined by the governing board to be surplus may be sold by the district, at any time, for the highest price obtainable; however, in no case shall the selling price be less than the appraised value of the lands, or interests or rights in lands, as determined by a certified appraisal obtained within 120 days before the sale.
(2) All sales of land, or interests or rights in land, shall be for cash or upon terms and security to be approved by the governing board, but a deed therefor shall not be executed and delivered until full payment is made.
(3) Before selling any surplus land, or interests or rights in land, it shall be the duty of the district to cause a notice of intention to sell to be published in a newspaper published in the county in which the land, or interests or rights in the land, is situated once each week for 3 successive weeks (three insertions being sufficient), the first publication of which shall be not less than 30 days nor more than 45 days prior to any sale, which notice shall set forth a description of lands, or interests or rights in lands, to be offered for sale.
(4) The governing board of a district may exchange lands, or interests or rights in lands, owned by, or lands, or interests or rights in lands, for which title is otherwise vested in, the district for other lands, or interests or rights in lands, within the state owned by any person. The governing board shall fix the terms and conditions of any such exchange and may pay or receive any sum of money that the board considers necessary to equalize the values of exchanged properties. Land, or interests or rights in land, acquired under former s. 373.59, Florida Statutes 2014, may be exchanged only for lands, or interests or rights in lands, that otherwise meet the requirements of that section for acquisition.
(5) In any county having a population of 75,000 or fewer, or a county having a population of 100,000 or fewer that is contiguous to a county having a population of 75,000 or fewer, in which more than 50 percent of the lands within the county boundary are federal lands and lands titled in the name of the state, a state agency, a water management district, or a local government, those lands titled in the name of a water management district which are not essential or necessary to meet conservation purposes may, upon request of a public or private entity, be made available for purchase through the surplusing process in this section. Priority consideration must be given to buyers, public or private, who are willing to return the property to productive use so long as the property can be reentered onto the county ad valorem tax roll. Property acquired with matching funds from a local government shall not be made available for purchase without the consent of the local government.
(6) Any lands the title to which is vested in the governing board of a water management district may be surplused pursuant to the procedures set forth in this section and s. 373.056 and the following:
(a) For those lands designated as acquired for conservation purposes, the governing board shall make a determination that the lands are no longer needed for conservation purposes and may dispose of them by a two-thirds vote.
(b) For all other lands, the governing board shall make a determination that such lands are no longer needed and may dispose of them by majority vote.
(c) For the purposes of this subsection, all lands for which title has vested in the governing board prior to July 1, 1999, shall be deemed to have been acquired for conservation purposes.
(d) For any lands acquired on or after July 1, 1999, for which title is vested in the governing board, the governing board shall determine which parcels shall be designated as having been acquired for conservation purposes.
(7) Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, the governing board shall first offer title to lands acquired in whole or in part with Florida Forever funds which are determined to be no longer needed for conservation purposes to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund unless the disposition of those lands is for the following purposes:
(a) Linear facilities, including electric transmission and distribution facilities, telecommunication transmission and distribution facilities, pipeline transmission and distribution facilities, public transportation corridors, and related appurtenances.
(b) The disposition of the fee interest in the land where a conservation easement is retained by the district to fulfill the conservation objectives for which the land was acquired.
(c) An exchange of the land for other lands that meet or exceed the conservation objectives for which the original land was acquired in accordance with subsection (4).
(d) To be used by a governmental entity for a public purpose.

In the event the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund declines to accept title to the lands offered under this section, the land may be disposed of by the district under the provisions of this section.

History.—s. 4, ch. 29790, 1955; s. 25, ch. 73-190; s. 1, ch. 82-46; s. 9, ch. 82-101; s. 2, ch. 85-347; s. 25, ch. 88-242; ss. 1, 2, ch. 89-279; ss. 11, 12, ch. 90-217; s. 2, ch. 91-288; s. 4, ch. 94-212; s. 5, ch. 94-240; s. 32, ch. 99-247; s. 10, ch. 2003-394; s. 15, ch. 2008-229; s. 35, ch. 2015-229.
Note.—Former s. 378.48.