48:5-18. General powers

Every company incorporated, organized or existing under this article shall have power:

Construction and maintaining bridges. a. To construct, maintain and operate its bridge or bridges.

Surveys; entry on land. b. To locate and determine its route and works, and, for that purpose, to make such surveys and tests for its proposed bridge or bridges as may be necessary to the selection of the most advantageous location, and to enter upon lands and waters of any person, doing no unnecessary injury to private or other property, and subject to responsibility for all damages which shall be done thereto.

Condemnation. c. Upon obtaining written permission of the board of public utility commissioners, to condemn and take the land necessary for its business, in accordance with chapter one of the Title Eminent Domain (s. 20:1-1 et seq.).

Acquisition of real estate. d. To acquire from time to time and to hold, operate and use all such real estate and other property or any interest therein, and any existing ferry companies or the rights and properties thereof, or any interest therein as may, in the judgment of its directors, be necessary for the purpose of the construction, maintenance and operation of its bridges, or to accomplish the objects of its incorporation, and to sell land, rights or property thus acquired, when not necessary for such purposes and objects.

Bonds and mortgages; usury as defense. e. To borrow such sums of money as shall be necessary to construct, improve, extend or repair its bridges, and to furnish all lands and other property necessary for its purposes, and for such purpose to issue and sell its bonds secured by mortgage on its lands, bridges, chattels, franchises and appurtenances. No such company shall plead any statute against usury in any action at law or in equity to enforce the payment of a bond or mortgage executed under the provisions of this section. In the case of any such company in this State, the amount of whose debts shall have been limited by special law, the written consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of all of who shall issue bonds of any such company to an amount greater than that its stock shall be obtained before any mortgage shall be executed. A person who shall issue bonds of any such company to an amount greater than that authorized by law shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Where a mortgage on a bridge right of way and franchise includes chattels, it shall be sufficient notice and evidence thereof to record the same as a mortgage on real estate.

Real and personal property; mortgages; sale or lease; stock of other corporations; successors' right. f. In the manner or mode of procedure and with the effect and subject to the restrictions and liabilities prescribed by Title 14, Corporations, General, and as fully and completely as a corporation organized under said Title 14, to purchase, take by devise or bequest, hold and convey real and personal property, inside or outside of this State, and mortgage any such real or personal property, and its franchises, to sell or exchange all or substantially all of its property and assets, including its good-will, to lease its property and franchises to any other corporation, to purchase and dispose of the stock of any other corporation and pay therefor, to enter into, effect and carry out a joint agreement with any other corporation or corporations for their merger or consolidation, and to dissolve or be dissolved and be wound up.

The powers and privileges conferred upon any such company and described in subparagraph f of this section shall be vested in such company and may be fully and completely exercised by it at its discretion notwithstanding any restriction, limitation, condition or other provision in this article contained or implied, but in the event of conveyance or mortgage of any bridge constructed by such company or the sale or exchange of all or substantially all of its property and assets or the effecting and carrying out of a joint agreement with any other corporation or corporations for their merger or consolidation or the dissolution and winding up of such company, any person, partnership, corporation or public body thereby acquiring such bridge or otherwise succeeding to the rights, privileges, powers and franchises of such company with respect to such bridge (hereinafter called "successor" ) and the successor's right, title and interest in and to such bridge shall be subject to and governed by all of the restrictions, limitations, conditions or other provisions in this article contained or implied and such successor shall, for all the purposes of this section and sections 48:5-19 to 48:5-24, inclusive, of this article, be deemed to be a company incorporated, organized or existing under this article; provided, however, that if such successor be this State, or any county or municipality thereof, or any bridge commission, bridge authority, public officer, board, commission or agency or other public body, created by or in any such State, county or municipality, then and in such case (1) the power and privilege conferred by the provisions of section 48:5-19 of this article upon the company and any successor to demand and receive sums of money for the use of such bridge and for other services connected with such bridge shall cease and determine at the expiration of forty-five years after the opening of such bridge for public use, and in consideration thereof (2) such bridge and the necessary approaches and appurtenances thereto shall not be subject to acquisition by, or be subject to becoming the property of, any State or States, municipality or municipalities, under the terms and provisions of sections 48:5-22, 48:5-23 or 48:5-24 of this article, and the right, title and interest of such State, county, municipality, bridge commission, bridge authority, or public officer, board, commission, agency or body in and to such bridge shall be perpetual.

Amended by L.1947, c. 401, p. 1264, s. 1.