1276 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 730

cases, mechanically operated freezing units for ice cream and
cooling units for soft drinks and water, ranges, space heaters
and water heaters, gasoline tanks, gasoline pumps and oil
receptacles and vending or weighing machines, designed to
receive coins or tokens. The goods and chattels of the inno-
cent tenant who has paid his rent to the owner of the lease-
hold estate shall be exempt from distraint for ground rent if
any due and owing to the ground rent landlord by the own-
er of the leasehold estate. Provided that, except in Prince
George's County, if the landlord shall distrain upon any goods,
chattels or other personal property on the premises not exempt
under this section, it shall be the duty of the landlord, before
the gale of such property shall be made under such distraint
proceedings (except in cases of personal property in office
buildings, in which cases there shall not be such duty), to as-
certain whether or not any such goods, chattels, or other per-
sonal property are being purchased by the tenant under a con-
ditional contract of sale defined in Section 71 of Article 21 of
the Annotated Code of Public General Laws of Maryland, or
mortgaged by the tenant by a purchase money chattel mortgage
under the terms of Sections 45 to 55, inclusive, of Article 21
of the Annotated Code of Public General Laws of Maryland,
and if it shall be found that any of such property is being pur-
chased by the tenant under such a conditional contract of sale
or covered by a purchase money chattel mortgage executed by
said tenant, and if such additional contract of sale or mort-
gage shall have been executed and recorded in accordance with
the laws of the State of Maryland governing the execution and
recording of such instruments, and if such conditional con-
tract of sale or purchase money chattel mortgage shall have
been recorded prior to the levy under said distraint the land-
lord, except in cases of personal property in office buildings,
shall either release such property from the distraint proceed-
ings or pay to the vendor named in such conditional contract
of sale or to the mortgagee in such mortgage the balance due
under such conditional contract of sale or mortgage, and said
balance, if paid, by the landlord, shall become a part of the costs
in such distraint proceedings; and be collectible in the same
manner as are the other costs in such proceedings; and provided
further that such vendor or mortgagee shall render, upon de-
mand by the landlord, a true statement of the balance due under
such conditional contract of sale or mortgage, and when said
balance is paid, shall release unto said landlord such condi-
tional contract of sale or mortgage.

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

Approved May 2, 1941.