1056 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 610

CHAPTER 610.

(Senate Bill 528)

AN ACT to add a new Section to Article 17 of the Anno-
tated Code of Maryland (1939 Edition), title "Clerks
of Courts", sub-title "General Duties of Clerks", said
new Section to be known as Section 53A, to follow im-
mediately after Section 53 of said Article, providing
for the payment to the State Treasury of unclaimed
funds in the hands of clerks of court.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That a new Section be and it hereby is added
to Article 17 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1939
Edition), title "Clerks of Court", sub-title "General Duties
of Clerks", said new Section to be known as Section 53A,
to follow immediately after Section 53 of said Article and
to read as follows:

53A. Whenever any clerk of any court of record of
this State has in hand in his official capacity any funds
subject to order of the court or received by him in con-
nection with any court proceeding, and where such funds
have remained unclaimed for seven years, or the Clerk,
after a lapse of seven years, has been unable to locate the
person or persons entitled thereto, or his or their legal
representative or representatives, the Court may, on peti-
tion of the Clerk, authorize the Clerk to disburse said
funds as hereinbelow provided. Before entering such an
order, the Court shall be satisfied that reasonable efforts
under the circumstances have been made to locate the
person or persons entitled to such funds, or his or their
legal representative or representatives, by oral and writ-
ten inquiry and by advertisement inserted in at least one
newspaper of general circulation in the City of Baltimore
or in the county where the Court is located at least once
a week for four consecutive weeks, unless in the opinion
of the court the amount of funds involved do not justify
the cost of such advertisement. In the event such efforts
are unsuccessful the Court may enter an order authoriz-
ing the Clerk to pay over such funds to the State Treas-
urer for the use of the State, after the allowance of the
Clerk's proper costs including the cost of such advertise-
ment if any.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall
take effect June 1, 1941.

Approved May 2, 1941.