§ 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.