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Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110

§7780 Acquisition of Buildings in District of Columbia

Title 10 › Subtitle B — Army › PART IV — SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROCUREMENT › CHAPTER 779 — REAL PROPERTY › § 7780

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Army can rent buildings or parts of buildings in Washington, D.C., when the nation is at war or war is about to start for military needs. At any time, the Secretary can also take over and use buildings or parts of buildings in D.C. for the Army, except for occupied homes, buildings used by other U.S. agencies, or space inside those places. The Army must pay a fair amount from its rent money. If the owner dislikes the offer, the Secretary will pay 75 percent right away, and the owner can sue the United States to get any extra amount a court says is fair.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §7780

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In time of war or when war is imminent, the Secretary of the Army may acquire by lease any building, or part of a building, in the District of Columbia that may be needed for military purposes.
(b)At any time, the Secretary may, for the purposes of the Department of the Army, requisition the use and take possession of any building or space in any building, and its appurtenances, in the District of Columbia, other than—
(1)a dwelling house occupied as such;
(2)a building occupied by any other agency of the United States; or
(3)space in such a dwelling house or building.
The Secretary shall determine, and pay out of funds appropriated for the payment of rent by the Department of the Army, just compensation for that use. If the amount of the compensation is not satisfactory to the person entitled to it, the Secretary shall pay 75 percent of it to that person, and the claimant is entitled to recover by action against the United States an additional amount that, when added to the amount paid by the Secretary, is determined by the court to be just compensation for that use.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 4780(a)40:37.
July 9, 1918, ch. 143 (3d proviso under “Barracks and Quarters”), 40 Stat. 861. 4780(b)40:41.
July 8, 1918, ch. 139 (2d par. under “War Department”), 40 Stat. 826. In subsection (a), the words “may acquire by lease” are substituted for the words “is authorized, in his discretion, to rent or lease”. The word “needed” is substituted for the word “required”. In subsection (b), the words “At any time” are inserted for clarity. The word “may” is substituted for the words “is authorized”. The word “agency” is substituted for the word “branch”. Clause (3) is inserted for clarity. The word “determine” is substituted for the word “ascertain”. The words “out of funds appropriated for the payment of rent by” are substituted for the words “within the limits of the appropriations for rent made by any act making appropriations for”. The word “is” is substituted for the word “be”. The words “so ascertained” and “in the manner provided by section 41(20) and 250 of Title 28” are omitted as surplusage, since those sections were repealed in 1948 and replaced by section 1346, 1491, 1496, 1501, 1503, 2401, 2402, and 2501 of that title.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 4780 of this title as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 7780

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110