Regulations last checked for updates: Jan 19, 2025

Title 24 - Housing and Urban Development last revised: Jan 13, 2025
§ 581.14 - Surplus property transfer documents.

(a) Surplus property may be conveyed to eligible organizations pursuant to 40 U.S.C. 550(d) and 42 U.S.C. 11411,as,by,at.

(b) Transfers of surplus property for homeless assistance purposes are in exchange for the transferee's agreement to fully utilize the property for homeless assistance purposes in accordance with the terms specified in the transfer document.

(c) A transfer of surplus property for homeless assistance purposes is subject to the disapproval of GSA within 30 days after notice is given to GSA of the proposed transfer.

(d) Surplus property transferred pursuant to this part will be disposed on an “as is, where is” basis without warranty of any kind except as may be stated in the transfer document.

(e) Unless excepted by GSA in its assignment, the disposal of property includes mineral rights associated with the surface estate.

(f) Transfers of surplus property under this part will be made with the following general terms and conditions:

(1) For the period provided in the transfer document, the transferee shall utilize all the surplus property it receives solely and continuously for the approved program and plan of use, in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 11411 and this part, except that:

(i) The transferee has 12 months from the date of transfer to place the surplus property into use, if HHS did not approve in writing, construction of new facilities or major renovation of the property when it approved the final application;

(ii) The transferee has 48 months from the date of transfer to place the surplus property into use, if the transferee proposes construction of new facilities or major renovation of the property and HHS approves it in writing at the time it approves the final application;

(iii) If the applicable time limitation is not met, the transferee shall either commence payments in cash to the Federal Government for each month thereafter during which the proposed use has not been implemented or take such other action as set forth at § 581.18 as is deemed appropriate by HHS. Such monthly payments shall be computed on the basis of the current fair market value of the property, as conveyed, at the time of the first payment and dividing it by 360 months. At HHS's discretion, the payment may be waived if the transferee makes a sufficient showing of continued progress to place the property into use or if an unforeseeable event occurs which prevents the property from being put into use within the applicable timeframe; and

(iv) HHS may permit use of surplus property at any time during the period of restriction by an entity other than the transferee in accordance with § 581.19.

(2) The transferee will not be permitted to encumber, or dispose of the property, or impair full utilization thereof, without the prior written authorization of HHS. In the event the property is encumbered, sold, or disposed of, or is used for any purposes other than those set forth in an approved plan without the written consent of HHS, all revenues or the reasonable value of other benefits received by the transferee directly or indirectly from such use, as determined by HHS, will be considered to have been received and held in trust by the transferee for the account of the United States and will be subject to the direction and control of HHS. The provisions of this paragraph (f)(2) shall not impair or affect the rights reserved to the United States in paragraph (f)(8) of this section, or the right of HHS to impose conditions to its consent.

(3) The transferee will file with HHS such reports on its maintenance and use of the transferred property and any other reports or information deemed necessary by HHS.

(4) The transferee shall pay all administrative costs incidental to the transfer, including but not limited to—transfer taxes; surveys; appraisals; title searches; the transferee's legal fees; and recordation expenses. Transferee is solely responsible for such costs and may not seek reimbursement from the Federal Government for any reason.

(5) The transferee shall protect, preserve, maintain, and repair the property to ensure that the property remains in as good a condition as when received.

(6) The transferee shall protect the residual financial interest of the United States in the surplus property by insurance or such other means as HHS directs.

(7) The transferee shall abide by all applicable Federal civil rights laws including those specified in the covenants and conditions contained in the transfer document, prohibiting the transferee from discriminating on the basis of, including but not limited to, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability in the use of the property.

(8) In the event of noncompliance with any conditions of the deed as determined by HHS, whether caused by the legal or other inability of the transferee, its successors and assigns, to perform any of the obligations of the transfer document, the Federal Government has an immediate right of reentry thereon, and to cause all right, title, and interest in and to the property to revert to the United States, and the transferee shall forfeit all right, title, and interest in and to the property. In such event, transferee shall execute a quitclaim deed and take all other actions necessary to return the property to the United States within ninety (90) days of a written request from the Federal Government, extended only at the discretion of the Federal Government. Transferee shall cooperate with the United States in the event of a reversion and agrees that the United States need not seek judicial intervention before exercising its right to revert, reenter, and reconvey the property.

(9) In the event title is reverted to the United States for noncompliance or voluntarily reconveyed to the United States, the transferee shall, at the option of HHS, be required to: reimburse the United States for the decrease in value of the property not due to market conditions, reasonable wear and tear, acts of God, or approved alterations completed by the transferee to adapt the property to the homeless use for which the property was transferred; and reimburse the United States for any costs incurred in reverting title to or possession of the property, including reasonable attorneys' fees.

(10) With respect to leased property, in the event of noncompliance with any of the conditions of the lease, as determined by HHS or the landholding agency, the right of occupancy and possession shall, at the option of HHS or the landholding agency, be terminated. In the event a leasehold is terminated by the United States for noncompliance or is voluntarily surrendered, the lessee shall be required, at the option of HHS, to reimburse the United States for the decrease in value of the property not due to market conditions, reasonable wear and tear, acts of God, or approved alterations completed by the lessee to adapt the property to the homeless use for which the property was leased. With respect to any termination of leasehold resulting from noncompliance, the United States, shall, in addition thereto, be reimbursed for such costs as may be incurred in recovering possession of the property, including reasonable attorneys' fees.

(11) Any other term or condition that HHS and GSA determine appropriate or necessary.

(12) With respect to surplus property transferred by deed, the terms and conditions including those in this paragraph (f), apply for a period of three hundred sixty (360) months of use in accordance with a program of use approved in writing by HHS. The three hundred sixty months (360) period may, in HHS's sole discretion, be extended or restarted in the event the property is not fully utilized or is retransferred to a successor entity. Expiration of the terms and conditions in this paragraph (f) does not release the transferee from continuing compliance, as appropriate, with any conditions that may run with the land, e.g., environmental conditions and/or historic preservation covenants. Such conditions will continue to be the responsibility of the transferee and successors.

(13) With respect to surplus property transferred by lease, the terms and conditions including those in this paragraph (f), extend for the entire initial lease and for any subsequent renewal periods, unless specifically excluded in writing by HHS.

(g) Related personal property may be transferred or leased as a part of the realty and in accordance with real property procedures.

(h) Transferees will be responsible for the protection and maintenance of the property during the time that they possess the property. Upon termination of the lease term or reversion of title to the United States, the transferee will be responsible for removing improvements made to the property if directed to by the United States and, in such event, will be responsible for restoration of the property or the costs associated with restoring the property. If improvements made by the transferee are not voluntarily removed by the transferee and the United States consents, they will become the property of the United States. If the United States does not consent, the transferee shall reimburse the United States for reasonable costs of removal. GSA or the landholding agency, as appropriate, will assume responsibility for protection and maintenance of a property when the lease terminates or title reverts.

(i) Transferees, by obtaining the written consent of HHS, may abrogate the restrictions set forth in paragraph (f) of this section for all or any portion of the property in accordance with the provisions of § 581.20.

[89 FR 89886, Nov. 13, 2024]
authority: 42 U.S.C. 11411 note; 42 U.S.C. 3535(d)
source: 56 FR 23794, 23795, May 24, 1991, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 24 CFR 581.14