EDWIN WARFIELD, ESQ., GOVERNOR.

965

CHAPTER 570.

AN ACT to repeal Chapter 532 of the General Assembly of

Maryland, Session of 1902, entitled "An Act to repeal Sec-

tion 33 A of Article 54 of the Code of Public General Laws

of Maryland, title "Land Office," amended by Chapter 191,

passed at the January Session of 1894, and to re-enact the

same with amendments," and to re-enact the same with

amendments.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-

land, That Chapter 532 of the Acts of the General Assembly

Land office.

of Maryland, entitled "An Act to repeal Section 33A of Article

54 of the Code of Public General Laws of Maryland, title

'Land Office,' amended by Chapter 191, passed at the January

Session of 1894, and to re-enact the same with amendments,"

is hereby repealed and re-enacted so as to read as follows :

33A. The amounts due the State upon any certificate of sur-

vey for fees and for composition or purchase money and the

Amounts due

value of improvements are hereby declared to be a lien upon

State a lien
on land

the land surveyed ; and the Commissioner of the Land Office

surveyed.

is authorized in his discretion, whenever the amount involved

justifies it, to enforce said lien either by appropriate action in

the name of the State in a court of competent jurisdiction, or

by a sale of the certificate of survey, which sale shall be con-

ducted in the following manner: He shall first give notice in

writing to the party in whose name said certificate was re-

turned, or to the assignee thereof, that unless the amount of the

fees, composition or purchase money and value of improve-

ments due on said certificate is paid within the time specified

in such notice, not less than two months from the date thereof,

the said certificate will be offered for sale, and if the amount

due the State; as aforesaid, is not paid with the time specified

in said notice, the Commissioner of the Land Office may sell

said certificate at public auction for cash after reasonable

notice of such sale inserted in some newspaper published in

the county where the land lies, the Commissioner reserving

the right to reject any bid if he deems the price offered inade-

quate; and the purchaser of such certificate shall be entitled

to a patent thereon upon the payment of the price bid and the

fees for patent, in the same manner as an assignee of the cer-

tificate would be entitled to a patent under the rules of the

Land Office, upon exhibition of the proof of assignment. This

Section to ap-
ply only to

section to apply only to those cases in which more than one year

certain cases.