1282

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP. 769

notice of such loss; and in cases where persons sustaining
loss by fire or lightning shall be dissatisfied with the esti-
mate of his loss by the appraisers, on his request in writ-
ing the subject shall be submitted to three disinterested
persons, one chosen by the directors, one by the person
insured who has sustained the loss and the third one by
the two referees thus chosen, and the report of the three
persons thus chosen, or of any two of them, shall be conclu-
sive as to all parties in interest; and no officer of this
company or near relative of any loss claimant shall be
eligible as such referees; and the inquiry and judgment of
said referees shall be based upon and restricted to the actual
cash value at the time of loss of the property named in the
application and policy under which loss or damage is
claimed; provided, that said directors, if they deem best,

Proviso.

may rebuild, repair or replace the property damaged or
destroyed, under the direction of the referees, and the direc-
tion and decision of a majority thereof shall be binding to all
parties.

SEC. 14. And be it further enacted, That whenever a loss
shall occur which the said company are liable to pay, it shall

Estimate to be
made of the
amount to be
contributed
by each
member.

be the duty of the directors at their next meeting after they
have been notified of said loss, to cause an accurate estimate
and statement to be made of the proportion or sum to be
contributed by each member, to make good said loss to the
person having sustained said loss, and to notify the members
of the said corporation of the same; and if, at the expiration
of sixty days from the date of such notice any member of
said corporation shall have failed to pay his, her or their
contribution aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the said company
to proceed, either at law or equity, to enforce the payment
by- members of such contributions or assessment, or of such
annual interest in advance as may have been determined.

SEC. 15. And be it further exacted, That the said company
shall have and is hereby invested with full power and

Invested with
certain
powers.

authority to make any by-law or by-laws whereby any mem-
bers of the said company failing to pay in advance the
interest on premium note or notes as assessed, according, to
the by-laws of said company, may be excluded from all
benefit of insurance, and at the same time be held liable to
contribution while such default may continue.