RCW 36.34.010 Authority to sell—May sell timber, minerals separately—Mineral reservation.

Whenever it appears to the board of county commissioners that it is for the best interests of the county and the taxing districts and the people thereof that any part or parcel, or portion of such part or parcel, of property, whether real, personal, or mixed, belonging to the county, including tax title land, should be sold, the board shall sell and convey such property, under the limitations and restrictions and in the manner hereinafter provided.

In making such sales the board of county commissioners may sell any timber, mineral, or other resources on any land owned by the county separate and apart from the land in the same manner and upon the same terms and conditions as provided in this chapter for the sale of real property.

The board of county commissioners may reserve mineral rights in such land and, if such reservation is made, any conveyance of the land shall contain the following reservation:

"The party of the first part hereby expressly saves, excepts, and reserves out of the grant hereby made, unto itself, its successors, and assigns, forever, all oils, gases, coals, ores, minerals, gravel, timber, and fossils of every name, kind, or description, and which may be in or upon said lands above described; or any part thereof, and the right to explore the same for such oils, gases, coals, ores, minerals, gravel, timber and fossils; and it also hereby expressly saves and reserves out of the grant hereby made, unto itself, its successors, and assigns, forever, the right to enter by itself, its agents, attorneys, and servants upon said lands, or any part or parts thereof, at any and all times, for the purpose of opening, developing, and working mines thereon, and taking out and removing therefrom all such oils, gases, coal, ores, minerals, gravel, timber, and fossils, and to that end it further expressly reserves out of the grant hereby made, unto itself, its successors, and assigns, forever, the right by it or its agents, servants, and attorneys at any and all times to erect, construct, maintain, and use all such buildings, machinery, roads and railroads, sink such shafts, remove such oil, and to remain on said lands or any part thereof, for the business of mining and to occupy as much of said lands as may be necessary or convenient for the successful prosecution of such mining business, hereby expressly reserving to itself, its successors, and assigns, as aforesaid, generally, all rights and powers in, to, and over said land, whether herein expressed or not, reasonably necessary or convenient to render beneficial and efficient the complete enjoyment of the property and the rights hereby expressly reserved."

No rights shall be exercised under the foregoing reservation until provision has been made to pay to the owner of the land upon which the rights reserved are sought to be exercised, full payment for all damages sustained by reason of entering upon the land: PROVIDED, That if the owner for any cause refuses or neglects to settle the damages, the county, its successors, or assigns, or any applicant for a lease or contract from the county for the purpose of prospecting for or mining valuable minerals, or operation contract, or lease, for mining coal, or lease for extracting petroleum or natural gas, shall have the right to institute such legal proceedings in the superior court of the county wherein the land is situated, as may be necessary to determine the damages which the owner of the land may suffer. Any of the reserved minerals or other resources not exceeding two hundred dollars in value may be sold, when the board deems it advisable, either with or without publication of notice of sale, and in such manner as the board may determine will be most beneficial to the county.

[ 1963 c 4 § 36.34.010. Prior: 1945 c 172 § 3; 1943 c 19 § 1; 1891 c 76 § 1; Rem. Supp. 1945 § 4007.]