780 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 431

sold for taxes or assessments pursuant to law, by one
Collector, and such sale has been reported by the Collector
who made the same, but the deed for such property has
been executed and delivered by the successor in office of
the Collector who made such sale and report as aforesaid
such conveyance shall be as valid to all intents and pur-
poses as it would have been if made by the Collector who
made and reported the sale.

642. The Mayor and City Council of Laurel may pur-
chase at the public sale held on or before the third Mon-
day in February in each year under the provisions of Sec-
tion 637 any property offered for sale for taxes or assess-
ments in default for an amount not exceeding the taxes
and assessments against said property and the costs of
said sale, and in case of such purchase, the provisions of
Sections 637, 638, 639 and 640 as to purchasers of such
property shall apply to the said Mayor and City Council,
except that the Mayor and City Council shall credit itself
with the purchase price instead of paying the same as pro-
vided for other purchasers under Section 638, and if the
property so sold to it shall not be redeemed at the expi-
ration of one year and a day from the day of sale, the Col-
lector shall execute a deed for the same to the Mayor and
City Council. Thereafter the Mayor and City Council is
authorized to sell said property at private sale by resolu-
tion of the City Council duly approved by the Mayor to any
person or persons offering to purchase same for an amount
not less than the total taxes and assessments levied against
said property, including those for which the property was
sold and costs of such sale and transfer to the Mayor and
City Council, and to execute a deed to the purchaser there-
for on receipt of the purchase price, signed for said cor-
poration by the Mayor and the President of the City Coun-
cil with the sale of the town attached, attested by the Clerk
to the City Council, which deed shall be acknowledged on
behalf of the Mayor and City Council by the Mayor.

643. Whenever there shall be a default in the payment
of taxes on personal property and the Collector shall have
distrained or levied upon the same for non-payment of any
taxes due by the owner thereof, before making sale of the
property so distrained or levied upon, said Collector shall
give notice by advertisement published once a week for
two successive weeks prior to the day of sale, in one or
more newspapers published in said town, or if there be no
newspaper published in said town, then in some newspaper