CITIES AND TOWNS ‑- POWER TO PURCHASE ‑- REAL PROPERTY OUTSIDE CITY.
CITIES AND TOWNS ‑- POWER TO PURCHASE ‑- REAL PROPERTY OUTSIDE CITY.
AGO 1955 No. 33 -
Attorney General Don Eastvold
CITIES AND TOWNS ‑- POWER TO PURCHASE ‑- REAL PROPERTY OUTSIDE CITY.
A city of the third class may purchase real property outside its corporate limits when such property is to be used for municipal purposes.
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February 28, 1955
Honorable Cliff Yelle State Auditor Legislative Building Olympia, Washington Cite as: AGO 55-57 No. 33
Attention: !ttMr. A. E. Hankins Chief Examiner
Dear Sir:
We have your letter of February 18, 1955, in which you requested our opinion as to whether a city of the third class may purchase a tract of land and building outside the corporate limits of the city to be used for municipal purposes in storing street department equipment.
In our opinion a city of the third class may purchase property outside corporate limits for municipal purposes.
ANALYSIS
A city of the third class is given specific powers by statute to purchase land for municipal purposes. RCW 35.24.300 provides as follows:
"The city council of such city shall have power to purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire real estate and personal property necessary or proper for municipal purposes and to control, lease, sublease, convey or otherwise dispose of the same; * * *"
[[Orig. Op. Page 2]]
McQuillin, Municipal Corporations, 3rd Edition, § 28.05 at page 10 says that by the weight of authority a municipal corporation, where not expressly prohibited, may purchase real estate outside of its corporate limits, for legitimate municipal purposes "especially under a broad charter provision as one conferring power to purchase and hold real estate sufficient 'for the public use, convenience, or necessities'."
We conclude, therefore, that a city of the third class could, under the broad powers conferred by RCW 35.24.300, purchase property outside the corporate limits of the city for the purpose mentioned above.