Section 70 ILCS 705/10a - Sale or exchange of property(a) The board of trustees of any fire protection district incorporated under this Act may sell, lease or exchange personalty and may sell or lease realty owned by the district and no longer needed for fire protection purposes. Except as provided in subsection (b), any realty sold pursuant to this Section shall be sold to the highest and best bidder either at public auction or on sealed bids. Notice of the public auction or of the receipt of bids shall be published at least once in a newspaper having a general circulation in the district or posted in at least ten public places in the district at least ten days before the date of the auction or the receipt of bids.(b) The board of trustees may, by resolution, authorize the sale of surplus real estate. The value of the surplus real estate shall be determined by a written MAI certified appraisal or by a written certified appraisal of a State certified or licensed real estate appraiser. The appraisal must be available for public inspection. The resolution may direct the sale to be conducted directly by the board of trustees or by listing with local, licensed real estate agencies, in which case the terms of the agent's compensation must be included in the resolution. The resolution must also include pertinent information concerning the size, use, and zoning of the real estate and the terms of the sale. The resolution must be published at the first opportunity after the adoption of the resolution in a newspaper of general circulation published in the district or, if no newspaper is published in the district, a newspaper of general circulation published in the county in which the district is located. The board of trustees may accept any contract proposal that the board determines is in the best interest of the district, provided, however, that the sale price may not be less than 80% of the appraised value of the real estate.(c) Nothing in this Section prevents a fire protection district from transferring realty to another municipal corporation or political subdivision pursuant to the Local Government Property Transfer Act.Amended by P.A. 103-0131,§ 5, eff. 1/1/2024. P.A. 91-68, eff. 1/1/2000.