Sec. 17. (a) The governing board may mortgage all or part of an interest in real or personal property owned by the hospital and may enter into a sale and leaseback of hospital property on terms and conditions acceptable to the board.

(b) The following property may be disposed of on terms and conditions acceptable to the board:

(1) Real or personal property subject to a mortgage or sale and leaseback arrangement.

(2) Real or personal property in which the hospital has an ownership interest as a participant in an organization or activity described in section 1(b) of this chapter.

(3) An arrangement in which at least two (2) hospitals participate for the provision of any hospital or related services, including participation or ownership as a tenant in common with other hospitals.

(c) Except as provided in subsection (b), real or personal property or an interest in real or personal property owned by the hospital may be disposed of as follows:

(1) Personal property:

(A) that has limited or no use to the hospital; and

(B) that:

(i) has value not exceeding thirty thousand dollars ($30,000); or

(ii) is traded upon purchase of other personal property;

may be disposed of without the necessity of advertising, auctioning, or requesting bids.

(2) Real property that the board considers no longer necessary for hospital purposes shall be sold after the following occur:

(A) The property is appraised by three (3) disinterested owners of taxable real property of the county.

(B) The board publishes notice of the sale one (1) time at least seven (7) days before the date of the sale.

(C) The sale is approved by the commissioners.

The board shall determine the time, terms, and conditions of the sale of property.

(3) Personal property other than property described in subdivision (1) shall be sold at public auction. The board shall publish notice of the sale one (1) time at least seven (7) days before the date of the sale. If sealed bids are solicited in the published notice of the sale, the bids must be opened in public on the date and time of the sale to satisfy the public auction requirement.

Upon the sale of real property under this subsection and the payment of the purchase price, the board and the commissioners shall execute a deed of conveyance to the purchaser. The proceeds of all sales are a part of the hospital funds to be held and used for the use and benefit of the hospital.

(d) If a trust (as defined in IC 30-4-1-1(a)) submits a bid in a sale or lease conducted under subsection (b), (c), or (e), the bid must identify each:

(1) beneficiary of the trust; and

(2) settlor empowered to revoke or modify the trust.

(e) If it is determined by the board, the county executive, and the county fiscal body, by joint resolution, that:

(1) the hospital should cease doing business as a county hospital;

(2) the hospital should be terminated and dissolved; and

(3) the entire hospital building or buildings should be sold or leased to a for-profit corporation, partnership, or entity;

the proposed sale or lease shall be considered publicly, and the board, the county executive, and the county fiscal body shall follow the procedures of IC 16-22-6-18 concerning notice and hearing on the terms and provisions of the sale or lease. The terms and provisions of the sale or lease shall be determined by the board, the county executive, and the county fiscal body and shall be presented at a hearing as required by IC 16-22-6-18.

(f) An individual who is a:

(1) board member in the member's capacity as a board member; or

(2) member of:

(A) the county executive; or

(B) the county fiscal body;

is immune from potential or actual liability attributable to the individual with respect to a sale or lease under subsection (e).

(g) In the event of a sale or lease under this section, the county is not liable for:

(1) any liabilities of the hospital that:

(A) were incurred on or before; or

(B) are incurred at any time after;

the sale or lease date; or

(2) any future liabilities incurred by the successor entity;

unless otherwise agreed to by the county at the time of the sale or lease in the sale or lease document. Any liabilities described in this subsection are the responsibility of the purchasing or leasing entity, unless agreed to otherwise in the sale or lease document.

(h) After the hearing on the proposed sale or lease, if it is determined by the board, the county executive, and the county fiscal body that the sale or lease should proceed, the hospital building or buildings shall be sold or leased in accordance with proposed terms and provisions.

(i) The board, the county executive, and the county fiscal body shall execute:

(1) a deed of conveyance upon payment of the purchase price if the buildings are sold; or

(2) a lease upon terms the board, the county executive, and the county fiscal body consider reasonable if the buildings are leased.

(j) The proceeds of the sale or lease of all of the hospital buildings must first be applied to outstanding indebtedness attributable to the hospital buildings. The commissioners shall deposit the balance of the proceeds from the sale or lease and any property in the hospital fund in:

(1) a nonexpendable interest bearing trust fund from which claims are paid for county hospital claims for the indigent or any other fund that the county executive and county fiscal body designate; or

(2) the county general fund.

[Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-12.1-3-15(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g).]

As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.5. Amended by P.L.35-1997, SEC.7; P.L.231-1999, SEC.13; P.L.80-2011, SEC.8.