448 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 458

pointed administrator files in the Orphans' Court having juris-
diction a Petition, under oath, declaring:

1. The time and place of decedent's death;

2. The known heirs;

3. The known creditors, together with the amount of each
claim, including contingent and disputed claims;

4. The known assets;

5. That Petitioner has made a diligent search to discover
all assets and debts of the decedent;

6. That said assets do not exceed $500 in value; and

7. That there are no known legal proceedings pending in
which the decedent is a party;

the Orphans' Court, if satisfied that the allegations in said
Petition are true, may pass a Preliminary Order declaring that
no formal administration is necessary and instructing the
Petitioner to publish once in substantially the usual form,
notice to creditors to exhibit their claims, duly authenticated,
within thirty (30) days after such notice, said notice to credi-
tors shall be inserted in whatever newspapers the Orphans'
Court or the Register of Wills shall direct.

(B) Whenever such a Preliminary Order has been passed
and the notice has been published and the time provided in
such notice has expired, the Petitioner shall file, under oath,
a Statement declaring that the notice has been published,
and that the said time has expired, and listing all then known
creditors, including contingent and disputed claims, and the
amount of each claim. If satisfied, that said Statement is
true, and after hearing and disposing of any objections filed
in the Orphans' Court by anyone interested in the estate, the
Orphans' Court shall pass a Final Order (1) directing the
Petitioner to pay from the estate all said claims, as well as the
customary widow's allowance, if any, in the order of priority
provided by law for an administrator, and (2) authorizing any
person having possession of any property of the decedent's
estate to transfer and pay over the same in accordance with
the Petitioner's directions, and (3) decreeing that, after the
Register of Wills certifies upon said Final Order that he has
seen the vouchers for the payment of said claims and is
satisfied that said claims, as well as all inheritance taxes and
the fees hereinafter provided have been paid, then the remain-
ing balance of said estate, if any, shall be vested in the appro-
priate person or persons of the following, that is to say:

1. in the spouse, if there be one surviving, or

2. if there be no surviving spouse, in the decedent's child or
children, equally (the share of any minor child to vest in the
person having custody of such child, to be used for the care
of such child), or