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Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§1589d Undisposed housing

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 9— - HOUSING OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN NATIONAL DEFENSE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VII— - DISPOSAL OF WAR AND VETERANS’ HOUSING › § 1589d

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

HUD must sell certain permanent housing on federal land that was not already given away, transferred, sold, or put under contract by set dates. On-site permanent housing on land the United States owns that was not disposed of by January 1, 1957 (except housing already cleared for sale under an earlier rule) and off-site permanent housing not disposed of before August 7, 1956 must be sold quickly by public advertisement to the highest responsible bidder. The Secretary can reject bids below fair market value and then try to sell by negotiation. Any sale contracts made after August 7, 1956 (except those covered by the earlier rule or by the sales in the first paragraph) must say that if title does not pass to the buyer by April 1, 1957—or within 60 more days if needed to fix title problems—the buyer’s rights end and the housing will be sold as described above. Signing a conditional sales contract counts as title having passed. Those dates cannot be changed by section 1589a.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §1589d

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding the provisions of this or any other law, (1) any housing to be sold on-site determined by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to be permanent, located on lands owned by the United States and under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, which is not relinquished, transferred, under contract of sale, sold, or otherwise disposed of by the Secretary under other provisions of this subchapter or under the provisions of other law by January 1, 1957, except housing which is determined by the Secretary by that date to be suitable for sale in accordance with section 1587(b) of this title; and (2) any permanent housing to be sold off-site which is not relinquished, transferred, under contract of sale, sold, or otherwise disposed of prior to August 7, 1956, shall be disposed of, as expeditiously as possible, on a competitive basis to the highest responsible bidder upon such terms and after such public advertisement as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may deem in the public interest; except that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may reject any bid which the Secretary deems less than the fair market value of the property and may thereafter dispose of the property by negotiation.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of this or any other law, all contracts entered into after August 7, 1956, for the sale, transfer, or other disposal of housing (other than housing subject to the provisions of section 1587(b) of this title) determined by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to be permanent, except contracts entered into pursuant to subsection (a) hereof, shall require that if title does not pass to the purchaser by April 1, 1957 (or within sixty days thereafter if such time is necessary to cure defects in title in accordance with the provisions of the contract), the rights of the purchaser shall terminate and thereafter the housing shall be sold under the provisions of subsection (a) hereof. For the purposes of this subsection, title shall be considered to have passed upon the execution of a conditional sales contract.
(c)The dates set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall not be subject to change by virtue of the provisions of section 1589a of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, see note set out under section 1581 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 1589d

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73