N.Y. Benevolent Orders Law § 9: Powers of joint corporations

§ 9. Powers of joint corporations. Such corporation may acquire real

property in the town, village or city in which such hall, home, temple

or building is or is to be located, and erect such building or buildings

thereupon for the uses and purposes of the corporation, as the trustees

may deem necessary, or repair, rebuild or reconstruct any building or

buildings that may be thereupon and furnish and complete such rooms

therein as may appear necessary for the use of such bodies or for any

other purpose for which the corporation is formed; and may rent to other

persons any portion of such building or real property for business or

other purposes. Until such real property shall be acquired or such

building erected or made ready for use, the corporation may rent and

sublet such rooms or apartments in such town, village or city as may be

suitable or convenient for the use of the bodies mentioned in such

certificate, or of such other bodies as may desire to use them, and the

board of trustees may determine the terms and conditions on which rooms

and apartments in such building or buildings, when erected, or which may

be leased, shall be used and occupied. Before such corporation composed

of not more than thirty bodies shall purchase or sell any real property,

or erect or repair any building or buildings thereupon, and before it

shall purchase any building or part of a building for the use of a

corporation, it shall submit to the bodies constituting the corporation,

the proposition to make such sale or purchase, or to erect or repair any

such building or buildings, or to rent any building or part thereof, for

the use of the corporation; and unless such proposition receives the

approval of two-thirds of the bodies constituting the corporation, such

proposition shall not be carried into effect. The evidence of the

approval of such proposition by any such body shall be a certificate to

that effect signed by the presiding officer and secretary of the body,

or the officers discharging duties corresponding to those of the

presiding officer and secretary, under the seal of such body. But where

land is purchased for the purpose of erecting a hall, home or temple

thereon, the buildings upon such land at the time of such purchase may

be sold by the trustees without such consent. The powers of the board of

trustees of every corporation created hereunder and composed of more

than thirty bodies, respecting sales, purchases and repairs, shall be

fixed by the by-laws adopted by the representatives of the various

bodies composing such corporation, or shall be determined by such

representatives when assembled in annual session. Every corporation

created hereunder shall have power to enforce, at law or in equity, any

legal contract which it may make with any of the bodies composing it

respecting the care and maintenance of members or other dependents of

such body, the same as if such body or bodies were not members of the

corporation. Any corporation created hereunder shall have power to take

and hold real and personal estate by purchase, gift, devise or bequest

subject to the provisions of law relating to devises and bequests by

last will and testament or otherwise.