§ 81 — Offices, lands, leaseholds and buildings

§ 81. Offices, lands, leaseholds and buildings. The commissioners, any\nlaw to the contrary notwithstanding, (a) may lease, sub-lease, rent or\notherwise hire, on behalf of and in the sole name of the state insurance\nfund and under such terms and conditions and for such period or periods\nnot in excess of ninety-nine years as in the judgment of the\ncommissioners may seem to the best interests of the fund, suitable\npremises in the city of New York and in the city of Albany, and maintain\noffices therein, and may in the same manner establish and maintain other\noffices at such places in the state as may be required to properly and\nconveniently transact the business of the fund and (b) the commissioners\nmay in the name of the state insurance fund, subject to the approval of\nthe superintendent of financial services as provided in section\neighty-seven of this article, out of its surplus, (1) acquire by\npurchase or acquire by gift or devise and hold and convey land with or\nwithout buildings or improvements thereon, or acquire by purchase,\nsub-lease, assignment, transfer, gift, devise or in any other manner and\nhold and convey any lease, sub-lease or leasehold of real property and\nfor any term of years not in excess of ninety-nine years, and (2)\nconstruct a new building or buildings on such land or leasehold or\nreconstruct or operate and maintain existing buildings, as the case may\nbe, with facilities and appurtenances to provide suitable office space\nfor the convenient transaction of the business of the state insurance\nfund; and (c) notwithstanding the provisions of any general, special or\nlocal law, the commissioners are authorized to rent any available space\nin such premises, buildings or property not required by the state\ninsurance fund to private tenants or to public agencies, with or without\nleases, upon such terms and rentals as the commissioners deem to be for\nthe best interests of the state insurance fund. The commissioners may\nmanage and operate such properties or leaseholds either by forces and\nequipment of the fund or, with the approval of the director of the\nbudget, by contracting for the management and operation of such\nproperties or leaseholds with any person, firm or corporation that they\nshall select and that is engaged in such business but no such contract\nshall be made for a period in excess of five years, or by a combination\nof such methods. The commissioners may, from time to time, enter into\nagreements modifying any lease or leasehold made or acquired as above\nprovided. The obligation of the state insurance fund or any lease made,\nmodified or acquired or on any contract entered into pursuant to this\nsection shall not be limited by any provisions of section eighty-eight\nof this article or of section one hundred sixty-one-a of the state\nfinance law. The commissioners may sue and be sued in the name of the\nstate insurance fund in any form of action or proceeding on all matters\nrelating to ownership, management, operation and control of any such\nland and buildings or leaseholds and on all matters relating to its\nrights and obligations under any lease, sub-lease, renting or hiring of\nany such land and buildings and to its possession thereof and removal\ntherefrom.\n