PARK FINANCING 485 



6. Proceeds for the Acquisition and Improvement of Park Properties from Gifts, 



Donations, Legacies and Bequests. 



While the acquisition of property through gifts, etc., does not represent 

 an actual financial transaction on the part of park authorities, this method 

 of securing properties does involve an item of tremendous monetary impor- 

 tance because of the vast numbers of such properties so acquired through- 

 out the United States. This method should not, therefore, be omitted in 

 any discussion of park financing. Practically every park law or charter 

 provision in every state and in every incorporated community of the states 

 has a clause or section specifically empowering the authorities to receive 

 gifts of land or other property for recreation purposes or money or other 

 things of value that may be used for the acquisition of land or for making 

 improvements on existing properties or new properties. 



Fortunately it is becoming more and more common for public-spirited 

 citizens to make such donations. Indeed, in some systems this has been the 

 chief means of securing properties. The extent to which park and recrea- 

 tion properties have been acquired through gifts and donations is shown 

 in the statistical report supplementing this manual. Gifts of land for park 

 and recreation purposes may be made under varied conditions. Some of 

 these different possible conditions are: (a) The gift may be in fee simple 

 without any "strings" to it whatever except a general statement of the 

 use-purpose intended. This is the most desirable kind of gift in land, for 

 in cities where conditions frequently change rapidly it very often comes 

 about that a property which has been given becomes so located that its 

 original purpose no longer functions and the park authorities ought to 

 have the right to act in the premises as they deem best, (b) A gift of land 

 that may be conditioned on the municipality or park authority making 

 certain improvements thereon within a given specified time. This kind of 

 a gift should be scrutinized very closely, for it may happen that a private 

 individual or corporation will derive vastly more benefit from the improve- 

 ment outlay than the community as a whole, (c) A gift of land in trust, the 

 control of which is specifically placed under a board of trustees, separate and 

 apart from the local park governing authority, although the property may 

 be used in all ways as a public recreation area. There can be no possible 

 objection to this kind of a gift, providing the donor also endows the property 

 with a sufficient sum to properly operate and maintain it; but where it 

 becomes necessary for the local park and recreation authority to allocate 

 funds for operation and maintenance there appears no justification for 

 separate governing authorities, (d) A gift of land for park purposes with a 

 reserving clause in the terms of the gift whereby, if the property is ever 



