Chapter 501 | Original Surveyed Townships

Section
Section 501.01 \| Board of education to supervise school and ministerial lands. Effective: June 29, 1988 Latest Legislation: House Bill 549 - 117th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF The board of education of each school district shall have general charge of and supervision over the lands appropriated by congress for the support of schools and ministerial purposes that have been allocated for the benefit of that school district.
Section 501.02 \| Board of education to enforce laws. Effective: June 29, 1988 Latest Legislation: House Bill 549 - 117th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF As the supervisor of lands appropriated by congress for the support of schools and ministerial purposes, a board of education of a school district with such lands that have been allocated for the benefit of its district shall see that the laws relating to such lands are faithfully executed. The board may bring and prosecute an action to enforce any lease upon such lands, to restrain the illegal use of such lands or the commission of waste, or to recover damages arising out of the commission of such waste, or may bring any action that is otherwise necessary to enforce such laws. Such action shall be commenced in the county wherein the land or a major portion thereof is situated.
Section 501.03 \| Auditor of state and department of administrative services - duties. Effective: June 29, 1988 Latest Legislation: House Bill 549 - 117th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF The auditor of state and the department of administrative services shall furnish to the board of education of each school district copies of deeds, leases, field notes, records, and other papers and documents that are in their possession, relating to the lands appropriated by congress for the support of schools and ministerial purposes that have been allocated for the benefit of that district, and such copies, when authenticated by the certificate and signature of the auditor of state, under the official seal of the auditor of state, shall be received as competent evidence and shall have the same force and effect as the originals. The auditor of state shall charge fees sufficient to defray the cost of preparing copies.
Section 501.04 \| Sale or disposition of school lands. Effective: April 12, 2021 Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 331 - 133rd General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF The board of education of each school district, with regard to lands appropriated by congress for the support of schools and ministerial purposes that have been allocated for the benefit of that district, may sell or dispose of such lands as provided in this section. Moneys received from their sale or disposition, or from annual rentals from leases that have not yet expired, shall belong to the school district for which such lands have been allocated. All funds held by the state from the sale or disposition of these lands and interest thereon before the effective date of this amendment shall be paid from the school district deposit fund in the custody of the treasurer of state to the school districts for whose benefit the lands have been allocated, on a pro rata basis. A school board may use moneys from the sale, disposition, or annual rentals of the lands to pay expenses it incurs in the operation and maintenance of these lands. If the total value of the lands credited to a school district under the terms of the original grant exceeds fifty thousand dollars, as determined by an appraisal conducted by at least two disinterested appraisers, the lands or any part thereof shall be sold upon specific authorization of the general assembly. In the event the sale of such lands has not been authorized and the lease or leases thereon expire, the school board may renew or lease anew such land. Lands and funds to the credit of any school district under the terms of the original grant shall be administered by the board of education of the school district, by an education foundation fund designated by the board, or by another person or entity designated by the board.
Section 501.06 \| Lands appropriated by congress for support of schools and ministerial purposes. Effective: June 29, 1988 Latest Legislation: House Bill 497 - 117th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF Lands appropriated by congress for the support of schools and ministerial purposes include the following: (A) Lands on which the lease has expired or will expire after a period of time, not to exceed twenty years after January 1, 1970; (B) Lands on which the lease is determined to be for a period of time as defined in division (A) of this section and where substantial improvements have been added to the expense of the lessee; (C) Lands leased for ninety-nine years, renewable forever, or leases which have been renewed for a like term.
Section 501.07 \| Appraisal and sale of lands. Effective: September 29, 2011 Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF Lands described in division (A) of section 501.06 of the Revised Code shall continue to be leased under the terms granted until such time as the lease may expire. At the time of expiration, subject to section 501.04 of the Revised Code, the land may be leased again by the board of education of the school district for whose benefit the land has been allocated or be offered for sale by public auction or by the receipt of sealed bids with the sale awarded by the school board to the highest bidder. Prior to the offering of these lands for sale, the school board shall have an appraisal made of these lands by at least two disinterested appraisers. Notification of the sale of these lands, including the minerals in or on these or other lands, shall be advertised once a week for two consecutive weeks, or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the land is located. No bids shall be accepted for less than the appraised value of the land.
Section 501.08 \| Substantial improvements added at expense of lessee. Effective: June 29, 1988 Latest Legislation: House Bill 549 - 117th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF Lands described in division (B) of section 501.06 of the Revised Code upon which the lease expires may be leased again by the board of education of the school district for whose benefit the lands have been allocated, or be sold, subject to section 501.04 of the Revised Code, as provided in this section. Substantial improvements added at the expense of the lessee shall not be considered as a part of the land to be appraised or sold. Appraisal by at least two disinterested appraisers undertaken by the school board shall consist of the land offered for sale, plus any improvements undertaken at the board's expense. The lessee shall have first option to purchase the land at the appraised amount. If the lessee does not purchase the land within sixty days of the offer made by the school board, the property shall be sold as provided in section 501.07 of the Revised Code. The lessee of land upon which a lease has not as yet expired may request that an appraisal be made of that land prior to expiration of the lease. The lessee shall have thirty days in which to accept an offer of the school board of the appraised value of the land and agree to purchase the land. Under such circumstances, the lease shall be canceled upon the lessee's payment of the purchase price, and the lessee shall receive a deed in fee simple to the property.
Section 501.09 \| Renewable lease. Effective: June 29, 1988 Latest Legislation: House Bill 549 - 117th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF The lessee of land appropriated for ministerial purposes which land is leased for ninety-nine years, renewable forever, or the lessee of such land the lease of which has been renewed for a like term may purchase the fee simple title to the land for an amount equal to the rent for one year. The receipt of all rents due and an amount equal to the rent for one year from a lessee is deemed an offer to purchase the land, which offer the board of education of the school district for whose benefit the land has been allocated shall accept. The school board shall cancel the lease and prepare a deed in fee simple to the land, which the governor shall execute and the secretary of state shall countersign. The lessee of land appropriated for school purposes which land is leased for ninety-nine years, renewable forever, or the lessee of land the lease of which has been renewed for a like term may purchase the fee simple title to the land for an amount equal to the quotient of the annual rent divided by five one-hundredths. Upon receipt of that amount, if all unpaid rent due from the lessee for past years has been paid, the school board shall cancel the lease, and the auditor of state shall prepare a deed in fee simple to the land, which the governor shall execute and the secretary of state shall countersign. Moneys received from the sale of any land shall be paid to the school district for whose benefit the land has been allocated.
Section 501.10 \| Sale or lease anew of lands in default of rent payment. Effective: June 29, 1988 Latest Legislation: House Bill 497 - 117th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF When a lessee fails to make payment of any rent on lands appropriated by congress for the support of schools and ministerial purposes when due and payable, the school district to which the rent is due shall notify the lessee by certified mail of the amount of rent due. If such rent is not paid for lands described in division (A) or (B) of section 501.06 of the Revised Code within thirty days after such notice, the school district may lease anew or sell the land, as provided in section 501.07 or 501.08 of the Revised Code. If such rent is not paid for lands described in division (C) of section 501.06 of the Revised Code within thirty days after such notice, the school district shall sell the lands using the appraisal, notice, and sale procedures of section 501.07 of the Revised Code and subject to section 501.04 of the Revised Code.
Section 501.11 \| Certification of proceedings. Effective: June 29, 1988 Latest Legislation: House Bill 497 - 117th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF When the successful bidder at the sale provided in this chapter makes payment to the school district selling the land, the school district shall certify receipt of such payment to the auditor of state. Following the payment to the school district, the auditor of state shall prepare a deed, conveying such lands in fee simple to the successful bidder, and deliver it to the governor, together with his certificate, under the seal of the auditor of state, that all papers required by law have been properly filed, that the proceedings are according to law, and that the purchase money is fully paid. When signed by the governor, countersigned by the secretary of state, and sealed with the great seal of the state, such deed shall be returned to the auditor of state who shall deliver it to the grantee.
Section 501.12 \| No sale for less than appraised value. Effective: June 29, 1988 Latest Legislation: House Bill 497 - 117th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF No lands appropriated by congress for the support of schools or for the ministerial purposes shall be sold for less than the appraised value thereof as determined in the manner provided by section 501.07 or 501.08 of the Revised Code. The school district selling the land shall determine the fee that each appraiser shall receive and such fees shall be paid out of the proceeds received from the sale of these lands.
Section 501.14 \| State policy. Effective: November 21, 1969 Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 167 - 108th General Assembly PDF: Download Authenticated PDF In the leasing of all of the lands which were reserved and given to Ohio for the support of schools and religion, which by a congressional act, Public Law 90-304, approved May 13, 1968, were released to Ohio to be sold and the revenue to be used for the support of education, it is the state's policy to sell the land and to use the revenue for the support of public education.