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Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110

§9780 Acquisition of Buildings in District of Columbia

Title 10 › Subtitle D — Air Force and Space Force › PART IV — SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROCUREMENT › CHAPTER 979 — REAL PROPERTY › § 9780

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

In wartime or when war is about to start, the Secretary of the Air Force can lease any whole building or part of a building in Washington, D.C., for military use. At any time, the Secretary can also take over and use any building or space in D.C. for Air Force needs, except occupied homes, buildings used by other federal agencies, or parts of those places. The Secretary must set and pay fair money for that use from Air Force rent funds. If the owner disagrees, the Secretary must pay 75% of the amount, and the owner can sue the United States to get whatever extra a court decides will make the total fair.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §9780

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In time of war or when war is imminent, the Secretary of the Air Force 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 Air Force, 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 Air Force, 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) 9780(a)9780(b)40:37.40:41.
July 9, 1918, ch. 143 (3d proviso under “Barracks and Quarters”), 40 Stat. 861.
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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 9780

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110