J. MILLARD TAWES, Governor                     1375

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1963.

Approved April 30, 1963.

CHAPTER 640
(House Bill 841)

AN ACT to add new Section 163 (d) to the Code of Public Local Laws
of Howard County (1957 Edition, being Article 14 of the Code of
Public Local Laws of Maryland), title "Howard County," subtitle
"Planning and Subdivision Control," to follow immediately after
Section 163 (c) thereof, and to repeal and re-enact, with amend-
ments, Section 165 thereof, to amend the planning and subdivision
law of Howard County relating to relaxation of minimum sub-
division regulations under certain conditions, and to penalties for
sale or transfer of subdivision land prior to approval and record-
ing of plats or prior to relation of minimum subdivision regula-
tions.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 163(d) be and it is hereby added to the Code of Public
Local Laws of Howard County (1957 Edition, being Article 14 of the
Code of Public Local Laws of Maryland), title "Howard County,"
subtitle "Planning and Subdivision Control," to follow immediately
after Section 163 (c) thereof, and to repeal and re-enact, with amend-
ments, Section 165 thereof, to amend the planning and subdivision
law of Howard County, and to read as follows:

163.

(d) The Planning Commission may at its discretion relax the
minimum requirements of the Subdivision Regulations upon pres-
entation of a petition substantiating the desirability of such action,
to the extent deemed just and proper in order to grant relief and at
the same time protect the public interest.

165.

Whoever, being the owner or agent of the owner of any land
located within a subdivision, transfers or sells or leases or agrees
to sell or negotiates to sell any land by reference to, or exhibition
of, a plat or by any other means and every bargainee or transferee
and the agent of such bargainee or transferee who shall accept or
knowingly be a party to any such transfer, lease or sale before a
plat has been approved by the Planning Commission and recorded,
or filed, in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Howard
County, or the minimum requirements of the Subdivision Regulations
have been relaxed by the Planning Commission, shall each forfeit
and pay a penalty of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each lot
or parcel so transferred, leased, or sold, or agreed, or negotiated to
be sold; and the description of a lot or parcel by metes and bounds
in the instrument of transfer or other document used in the process
of selling or transferring shall not exempt the transaction from
such penalties or from the remedies herein provided. The Board